JD(U) questions FIR against Rajnath, says EC must realise limits

New Delhi, Apr 13 (UNI) The Janata Dal (United) today defended the BJP on the CD issue, saying the Election Commission should realise ''its limits'' and flayed the ruling UPA for the largescale corruption and inflation in the country.

Addressing a press conference, JD(U) General Secretary Shambhu Srivastava said the BJP committed a mistake on the CD issue but it withdrew the CD immediately and gave a clarification to the Election Commission. Even after that, the Commission went ahead and filed an FIR against BJP President Rajnath Singh which is unprecedented in the history of the country, he added.

''The Election Commission should realise its limits. The Election Commission is a very important organisation but it is not the only system in the democracy...the Executive, Parliament, Supreme Court and Election Commission are all four parts of the democratic system,'' he pointed out.

He wondered on what ground the Commission had filed the case against Mr Rajnath Singh, and said a FIR had never been lodged against a party president for the work of a party worker.

Asked about the delay in the reaction of the JD(U) which is contesting elections along with the BJP and Apna Dal in Uttar Pradesh, Mr Srivastava said that there was no question of delay as JD(U) President Sharad Yadav has been campaigning along with BJP leaders in the state.

He claimed that on the basis of two-phases of polling in Uttar Pradesh, it could be seen that there has been polarisation of votes between the BSP and NDA in the state and the Samajwadi Party would fare very badly. He said Mr Sharad Yadav had till now addressed 62 public meetings in the state and would attend 105 more such meetings.

Criticising the Congress for the existing inflation and corruption, the JD(U) leader said his party would launch a national campaign and highlight the issues at the polls.

He said the Government was not raising the Minimum Support Prices of wheat and pulses allowing MNCs and private Indian parties to buy them from farmers at low rates and later on importing them at higher prices or buying them from private companies at high rates. ''This leads to not only exploitation of farmers but also the prices of commodities become very high.'' More UNI