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Journalism of Courage
The Election Commission on Friday censured Congress star campaigner and Telangana Minister Konda Surekha for making unverified allegations against the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and its leader K T Rama Rao.
In its order, the poll body said it had received a complaint from BRS spokesperson Karne Prabhakar on April 6 alleging that Surekha had made “unverified and unsubstantiated allegations” against the party and Rao at a press conference on April 1. The EC then asked the Telangana chief electoral officer for a report, which it received on April 16, it said.
The report said Surekha alleged that Rao had “blackmailed many persons like heroines and brought some of the officers to a situation of losing their jobs and facing imprisonment” by tapping phones.
The EC said Surekha had violated the Model Code of Conduct and its advisory to parties on March 1 to avoid making unverified allegations during campaigning. It said Surekha was not only a star campaigner, but also a minister and had “additional responsibility of choosing your words carefully while making any claims/allegations against any political party or the leader”.
“In the present case, unverified allegations made by you pose a risk of maligning the image of opposition party/leader and to disturb level-playing field amid ongoing election process in Telangana,” the order said.
While censuring her, the EC also warned the leader to “remain careful in her public utterances during the currency of the Model Code of Conduct”.
