EC orders Govt website cleansing

The Chief Secretary told The Indian Express that the process had started and all secretaries had been instructed to scan the pages and delete all references to Virbhadra and his Cabinet. Similar instructions are believed to have also gone out to administrative secretaries, managing directors of PSUs, heads of government and semi-government departments and organisations, as well as vice-chancellors of universities.

Orders have gone out to complete the task by Thursday.

During a visit to the state, Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami had issued clear instructions to the Government to abide by the model code. All hoardings and billboards highlighting the achievements of the Congress Government were ordered to be cleared.

Since Virbhadra kept hoping that the Commission would heed his appeals to postpone the election dates, it took some time for the Government to react to the observations.

But the EC turned down his appeals and the election process for three Assembly constituencies, which are slated to go to polls on November 14, has already started.

The BJP has asked the Commission to remove officers posted in their home districts or granted service extensions before the polls. Two complaints have also been filed with the EC, one over the sudden takeover of a temple by the Government and the other relating to 8220;violations8221; by B R Rahi, Chairman of the Himachal Pradesh State Board of School Education.

Rahi, who had once contested an election on a Congress ticket from Hamirpur, had held a press conference to announce re-scheduling of examinations.