CPM notice 8212; Gill objects to BJP8217;s remarks

The CEC further remarked: 8220;I am afraid Venkaiah Naidu has not read the judgment and the directions of the High Court.8221;

Gill pointed out that at the hearing in the court, the Commission had taken the plea that it could not deregister a political party on that specific ground enforcing hartals. 8220;The High Court has disagreed with the Commission and given specific directions to it,8221; he said.

Yesterday, Naidu had said that the right to protest was a democratic right bestowed on political parties by the Constitution. Any move by the Commissionto threaten political parties with deregistration for organising hartals would only undermine the democratic polity of the country, he had contended.

8220;The BJP is not prepared to accept that the commission can issue notice and deregister a political party,8221; he had said.

The EC, in its June 29 notice to the CPIM, had asked for its comments on the petition by the Kochi-based Institute of Social Welfare. The party8217;s views had been sought by July 31 and the hearing in the matter would be held on September 6.

The EC has also issued notices to the Institute of Social Welfare, the Chief Secretary of the Kerala Government, Kerala Director General of Police and the Indian National Congress, which was a party before the High Court.