Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader L. Ganesan has demanded that the Election Commission of India and the Income Tax department make public, whenever they seized cash and expensive gift articles meant for distribution to the voters in the May 16 Assembly elections.
Talking to reporters here on Tuesday, he said that the officials after making the seizures should disclose the political affiliation of the persons from whom the cash and articles were seized so that the electorate would teach them a lesson when they exercised their franchise.
The Election Commission and Income Tax department might proceed against the accused and take action against them after taking up the case with appropriate courts but the disclosure would help the voters to hand out instant punishment in the hustings, he said. “There need not be a veil of secretary in the search operations,” he said.
Asserting that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj were fully aware of the fishermen issue, he said the Modi government was very keen on finding a lasting solution to the vexatious issue. The issue needed tactical approach as the problem existed between Indian fishermen from Tamil Nadu and Sri Lankan Tamil fishermen, he said. “We have identified the crux of the problem and working out the modalities for finding a solution,” he said.
The Indian government had distributed boats to the Lankan Tamil fishermen as part of the rehabilitation package, he said. The Modi government had distributed boats to the Tamil fishermen, who had lost their livelihood for several years like it provided housing to the displaced Tamils in the island nation.
Mr. Ganesan said the Centre would implement the Sethu Samudaram Shipping Channel project without causing harm to the Ram Setu. Extension of National Highway up to Dhanushkodi was part of the project, he said adding the channel would be built through the Pamban canal.
