Pulled up by EC, Jogi & his men loudly knock

Jogi met Chief Election Commissioner J M Lyngdoh for an hour, explaining how his opponents were spreading a canard to mislead the EC.

Objecting to an EC decision to remove two collectors, Jogi said that nobody in the Commission had bothered to take his ‘‘side of the story’’ while ‘‘false and fabricated charges’’ were being forwarded as complaints to the EC by Opposition parties.

‘‘It has been my purpose to bring to the notice of the Commission, certain glaring incidents of miscarriage of justice. This could be due to the gross misrepresentation of facts by the complainants,’’ he said, emerging from the meeting with Lyngdoh.

Jogi alleged that the model code of conduct was being misused by the Opposition to launch a smear campaign against him and his party.

Playing down the incident of the Jashpur collector travelling with him, Jogi claimed that it was his Z-plus security cover which forced him to take the official along.

‘‘But I can guarantee that the collectors did not participate in any of the election activities. They are hardworking officers from the Scheduled Caste category,’’ he said.

The EC has received maximum complaints from Chhattisgarh, alleging violation of the code of conduct by Jogi.

At the centre of a controversy involving distribution of free schoolbags embossed with his portrait, Jogi claimed it was the Centre which was misusing the media and the official machinery for election purposes.

Denying that the special Jogi-schoolbags were still being distributed, he said, ‘‘As the executive head of the state, we are complying with the EC directions. We have even arranged alternative storage for the bags outside the state.’