Govt 'sops' announcements not accidental but deliberate: BJP

New Delhi, Oct 12 (UNI) The BJP today said the ''sops'' announced for various sections of the people by the Central Government amounted to gross violation of the model code of conduct at a time when Assembly elections were announced for Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat.

In a complaint filed before Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswamy, BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the announcements like there will be no hike in petroleum prices for the next six months, issuance of bonds to state owned oil marketing companies, 70 days productivity linked bonus to Railway staff, and resettlement policy for the displaced and landless were all intended to derive electoral benefits.

The complaint is not about the content of these decisions but deliberate timings of the announcements intended to give a mileage to the UPA in the Assembly elections, Mr Naqvi wrote in the letter.

''These flagrant violations of model code of conduct was not accidental but deliberate,'' he said.

There may be arguments that the decision was for the entire country and not just these states he said adding the EC should remember that in 1995, even the presentation of the Union Budget was deferred in view of elections in the states of Bihar and Orissa.

There has been a 'streak of deliberate defiance' in the announcement, he said.

The statement of Petroleum Secretary that there will not be upward revision of prices on petroleum products cannot be an innocuous statement but it was made keeping in mind the coming Assembly elections, he said.

The EC should ponder if the Commission should be empowered to pre-vet the Cabinet memoranda from the timing of such decisions during the period of coming into force of model code of conduct, he added.

UNI