While holding elections in Kashmir was dangerous, the exercise in Gujarat is nasty, said Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh on the first of his two-day visit to the state to check its poll preparedness.At the end of his day-long talks with bureaucrats, politicians and voluntary bodies, Lyngdoh said: ‘‘In Kashmir, we were put in personal danger. It is not dangerous in Gujarat, but it is much more nasty.society here is not healthy.’’Lyngdoh arrived here the day Narendra Modi continued his Gaurav yatra with his by now familiar diatribe. Modi blamed Muslims for their ‘‘silence’’ on Godhra and said there’s ‘‘something similar’’ in ‘‘speeches of Congress leaders, Pakistan President Pervez Musharraf and the letter found on the two terrorists killed in Akshardham.’’ He was countered by Vaghela who called him the ‘‘khote Sardar’’ on a ‘‘kalank yatra.’’But on Lyngdoh’s mind is the VHP’s Hindu Padpadshahi Yatra which is scheduled to begin at Godhra on November 17 and end at Akshardham on December 6. 4 killed in clashes, Modi slams Muslims’ ‘Godhra silence’ • A spat over a cricket match resulted in four deaths in Mahudha township in Kheda district. Around 20 shops were looted and half a dozen burnt in the violence that followed • Godhra happened because local Muslims were silent and didn’t ‘‘isolate or socially boycott the guilty’’, Narendra Modi said today. • CEC J M Lyngdoh should ‘‘give up his post and enter politics’’ if he has ‘‘political ambitions’’ VHP secretary Surendra Jain said Lyngdoh, who’s on a two-day visit to the State to check poll-preparedness, on Monday said he had asked the State Government to submit a report on details of the yatra ‘‘in a couple of days.’’‘‘We will take necessary decision after that,’’ he said, adding that most political parties and NGOs had conveyed their apprehensions about the proposed yatra as well as ‘‘communal statements’’ by VHP leaders to the Commission. He said complaints were also received about replicas of ‘‘burnt railway compartments’’ being shown in public.When Lyngdoh was asked how free and fair elections could be guaranteed under the very Chief Secretary and Director-General of Police who have been in charge since Godhra, he said: ‘‘If the present state of affairs continues, the issue will have to be considered.’’Meanwhile, a VHP office-bearer said the yatra — meant to highlight the fact that Chhatrapati Shivaji was the only king who fought for a Hindu Rashtra while others did for their own kingdowm — will also create awareness about Hindu religion. Stating that the credibility of Indian democracy was at stake in this elections as well, Lyngdoh said, ‘‘The world will be keen to know if we have given enogh opportunity to the riot-hit. We (EC) are not going to accept diluted standards.’’He said the commission had met top Government officials, including collectors of many districts, Chief Secretary, the DGP and the Home Secretary, to discuss deployment of forces in sensitive areas. ‘‘We have made it very clear that dispensation of forces will have to be concentrated in riot-hit districts, particularly in towns and mohallas where riots were severe,’’ Lyngdoh said.‘‘We have asked the DGP to prepare a detailed map to show how he will deploy forces. He has been asked to make a detailed presentation in Delhi on November 18.’’ Two hundred companies of central paramilitary forces will be sent by November 20 and others will follow, he said.‘‘We will ensure that publicity will not promote fear or hatred among people.political parties will be asked to become self-regulatory or else serious note will be taken,’’ he stated.Election Commissioner T S Krishnamurthy said the EC would ensure full confidence among the riot-hit who had returned home by deploying paramilitary forces. Special polling stations will be set up for those living in unofficial camps. About those who had left the State, he said that the Chief Electoral Officers in the neighbouring states would be asked to make arrangements for voting through postal ballot. The states include Rajashtan, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra.Special election observers, one for each district, will be deputed by the Commission. Gujarat is the second State after Jammu & Kashmir where such observers will be sent, the EC said.
