Journalism of Courage
On a day when Congress president Rahul Gandhi, at a rally in Simdega in Jharkhand, played up the party’s promise of bringing the Nyuntam Aay Yojana (NYAY) if it is voted to power, pamphlets from the state Congress unit did the rounds. The pamphlets promoted the NYAY scheme and sought personal details from the people. The local BJP unit has now approached the state Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) and alleged that the distribution of these pamphlets has violated the model code of conduct.
The pamphlet seeks details such as name, address, mobile number, along with polling booth name and number. The pamphlet mentions the publisher’s name — Khunti District Congress Committee.
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Jharkhand Congress spokesperson Rajesh Thakur said they have been conducting the “survey” from before the announcement of the election. “We have doing it since long and Rahul Gandhi has individually written letters to prospective beneficiaries. Those pamphlets are being distributed in various constituencies. If the BJP thinks this is a poll code violation, then they should answer on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s addresses before the 2014 election in which he promised to put Rs 15 lakh in bank accounts, won on this plank, but failed to fulfill the promise. By their logic, that too was a poll code violation”
BJP spokesperson Pratul Shahdeo said this is an “open and shut” case of poll code violation as the scheme hasn’t been launched yet. Also, he said, “The pamphlet seeks classified voter details, which is not permissible.”
The state BJP unit has written to the CEO that the state Congress unit was trying to lure people during elections. “Without the EC’s go ahead, asking to fill this kind of form is a violation of Model Code of Conduct as well as of Representation of People’s Act,” the party has said, and demanded registration of an FIR in this regard.
At the rally in Simdega, which comes under the Khunti parliamentary constituency, Rahul told the gathering that Prime Minister Narendra Modi or any other political leader were not their “maalik” (masters). Instead, he said, they are the lords in democracy. He described the mahagathbandhan of opposition parties as “voice of the people” and said he has not come to speak their “maan ki baat” but to listen to them.
“Don’t forget that you are maalik (master). Narendra Modi or any political leader are not your maalik. You just tell us what to do and we will do,” Rahul said.
The Mahagathbandhan has fielded Kalicharan Munda from Khunti and he is up against BJP leader and former Jharkhand chief minister Arjun Munda.
Former CM Babulal Marandi and JMM’s working president and ex-CM Hemant Soren also addressed the rally.
