Deora replies to EC, says code of conduct not violated

“Crude has fallen from all-time high of USD 147 per barrel to around USD 50 now. Naturally, there are expectations that petrol and diesel prices should be reduced and we will do that…we have to reduce prices but it will happen after Assembly elections,” Deora had said on November 25.

The Commission yesterday sent a communication to Deora and the ministry’s Secretary R S Pandey seeking their comments on complaints by BJP that the minister violated model code of conducts.

“My statement was in response to the question asked by the media as to when the government would consider the price revision, and I stated categorically that this would only happen after Assembly elections were over,” Deora said.

None of this amounts to announcing any financial grants in any form or promise thereof,” he said while pointing to the model code of conduct which bars political parties from making such announcements.

“Consequently, the model code of conduct is not attracted,” he said. “It is entirely false to allege that financial grants of any nature was announced or that any promise was made, specific to any such financial grants.”

Deora said it was unfortunate that BJP leaders had raised the issue before the Election Commission.

“My statement was not suo moto. It was in response to a dialogue with the press. The timing was not chosen by me. It is false to allege that any part of the statement was indicative of a deliberate attempt on part of the Congress party to influence voters in Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan and Jammu and Kashmir.”

A five-member delegation of the BJP, including Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Ravi Shankar Prasad, had met the Commission and presented a memorandum saying that the minister’s remarks on price reduction after elections just before the voting in the assembly polls “reveals the intention of the party in power to influence votes”.