The Hindu : Front Page : Election Commission lodges FIR against Lalu Prasad

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Tuesday, Dec 21, 2004

Front Page

Front Page

Election Commission lodges FIR against Lalu Prasad

By J. Venkatesan

NEW DELHI, DEC. 20. Taking suo motu action on the reported incident of the Railway Minister and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD) president, Lalu Prasad, distributing Rs. 100 each to his partymen in Patna, the Election Commission today lodged a First Information Report (FIR) for an offence under Section 171 B of the Indian Penal Code for bribery relating to the conduct of elections.

The Commission also issued a showcause notice to the RJD on why the party should not be de-recognised under the provisions of the Election Symbols Order, 1968 for violating the model code of conduct, which came into force on December 17 with the announcement of the election schedule for Bihar and two other States.

The Full Commission, comprising the Chief Election Commissioner, T.S. Krishnamurthy, and the Commissioners, B.B. Tandon and N. Gopalaswami, took the decisions after watching the electronic and print media versions showing Mr. Lalu Prasad distributing currency on December 18.

Directive to Railways

Briefing presspersons, the Commission spokesman, A.N. Jha, said the party had been given time till 3 p.m. on December 24, to reply to the showcause notice. The Railway Board Chairman had been directed not to provide special trains or divert any train to Patna for the proposed rally by the RJD on Thursday. The Bihar Chief Secretary had been directed not to provide public transport buses for the rally and not to misuse government machinery for it.

The Commission had also asked the RJD State Government to ensure that no government building, including circuit houses and guesthouses, was given to the party. Regulations had been imposed on the official meetings of the Ministers also. Two observers were being sent to Patna to oversee that the model code of conduct was not misused on the day of the rally.

BJP team meets CEC

Earlier in the day, a BJP delegation submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission pleading for a one-day poll in Bihar and Jharkhand. It alleged that taking advantage of the three-phase poll, the ruling party in Bihar would be enabled to press into service its private armies to intimidate voters and rig the polls.

Speaking to reporters later, the BJP leader, Sushma Swaraj, who led the delegation, told the CEC that Bihar and Jharkhand were relatively smaller States and the Commission should consider holding elections in a single phase. The CEC, according to Ms. Swaraj, told the delegation that he was prepared to consider the demand if the Government provided more para-military forces to ensure free and fair elections. The BJP would also take up the issue with the Government.

Replying to a question, she said the delegation was satisfied with the action taken by the Commission against Mr. Lalu Prasad and his party for violating the model code.

RJD team's plea

Within minutes of the BJP meeting the CEC, an RJD delegation met the CEC and denied that Mr. Lalu Prasad had violated the code. It assured the Commission that the code would be strictly followed in letter and in spirit.

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