EC postpones hearing on CD issue till Apr 12

By Staff
|
Google Oneindia News

New Delhi, Apr 11: The Election Commission today adjourned the hearing on BJP's controversial CD to tomorrow in view of the party's strong opposition to the participation of Election Comisioner Navin Chawla in the proceedings, as it charged him with a 'bias' against the party.

The meeting, which went on for nearly two hours, failed to take-off due to the BJP's stand on Mr Chawla. Thereupon, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami adjourned the hearing till tomorrow. The other Election Commissioner S Y Qureshi was also present during the meet.

During the meet, the EC also rejected the Congress' demand for an interim order on this case.

Meanwhile, the BJP ridiculed the demand for an interim order, saying it was the Congress' tactic to stop BJP in the elections, ''since it has no courage and standing following its defeat in Punjab, Uttarakhand and MCD election in Delhi.'' ''Other parties have joined the Congress only for vote bank politics,'' it alleged.

However, Union Minister Kapil Sibal, representing the Congress, alleged that the saffron party was distributing the CDs even today and said that BJP and Samajwadi Party were ''together.'' CPI (M) Nilotpal Basu claimed that BJP was diverting the attention of the Commission from the very serious charge of distribution of CD and urged the Commission to pass an interim order so that further damage could be minimised.

A BJP delegation yesterday submitted a letter to the Commission requesting it to recuse Mr Chawla from hearing the case of the allegedly communal CD. The party contended that it did not expect a fair assessment from him as a case was pending against him in the Supreme Court in connection with receiving funds from a political party for his trust just a few weeks before his appointment as Election Commissioner by the Congress-led UPA government.

Four parties -- Jan Morcha, Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP), Samajwadi Party (SP) and Congress -- had approached the EC seeking ''derecognition'' of BJP on the grounds that it had violated the election code by release of the CD in Lucknow.

However, the BJP has disowned the CD, saying it was released without the knowledge of party leaders. Two FIRs have been lodged against the party in Lucknow at the instance of Election Commission.


UNI

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