Congress replies to EC notice on ‘corruption rate card’ campaign

The EC discover to Karnataka Congress chief D Ok Shivakumar on Saturday got here after the BJP filed a criticism towards a Congress commercial titled “Corruption Charge Card’, wherein it gave the quantities allegedly charged as bribes for appointments, transfers and authorities offers.

In its reply, filed by famous lawyer and senior Congress chief Abhishek Singhvi, the Congress identified that the EC with its “huge powers of superintendence, may have chosen to analyze the allegations, proof of which is accessible within the public area however has as a substitute chosen to go after the celebration that’s shedding gentle on the rampant corruption plaguing the folks of the state”.

“This proactive zeal appears to be reserved solely for the opposition, as now we have via quite a few detailed, documented and numbered representations sought to convey to the Fee’s consideration the brazen, stunning, egregious, heinous and repeated violations of just about each single electoral pointers by Narendra Modi, Amit Shah, J P Nadda, (Yogi) Adityanath in addition to different BJP leaders. But not one show-cause discover has been issued for these deliberate violations. Overlook pursuing prison proceedings, not one condemnation or censure has been issued to call and disgrace these people by the Fee,” the Congress mentioned.

As for the discover, the Congress mentioned the political commercial which is beneath scrutiny has neither talked about the BJP nor any individual or candidate. “Our reference to the ‘40% Sarkara’ is supported by proof which is available within the public area and has been coated during the last one 12 months in all main newspapers in Karnataka in addition to on tv and neither the BJP nor the Bommai authorities has taken motion,” it mentioned.

The Congress argued that one BJP MLA who “publicly spoke about Chief Minister’s publish being offered for Rs 2,500 crore has been renominated as a candidate by the BJP…Even the Contractors Affiliation of Karnataka, comprising of fifty,000 contractors, has publicly said in regards to the 40% fee being demanded by the Bommai authorities and have even named numerous BJP legislators and the quantity taken in bribes…The College Affiliation representing 40,000 personal colleges…has brazenly spoken in regards to the 40% fee being demanded by BJP authorities …Dingaleshwar Swamiji of the Math at Gadag, Karnataka, has brazenly spoken in regards to the 30% fee being demanded by the Bommai authorities for the discharge of grants for the Math,” it mentioned.

The Congress mentioned it will “collate” the “mentioned proof” and current them earlier than the EC “supplied that we’re given affordable time and an in-person listening to”.

The Congress reply, apparently, talked about 11 complaints that it had filed earlier than the EC towards BJP leaders and towards “a political commercial introduced out by the BJP the place it was alleged that Congress would divert funds despatched for residents”.

Prime Minister Modi, the Congress mentioned, in his marketing campaign speeches has made “widespread and outrightly false remarks towards the Congress, together with accusing it of supporting terrorists. “His colleagues have accused congress of supporting the PFI and threatened the state with communal riots. These are simply the tip of the iceberg…If the ECI chooses to disregard heinous and stunning situations of hate speech, direct and unconcealed spiritual invocations to hunt votes, statements which can be defamatory to an unprecedented stage of malice, statements which can be false, recognized to be false, and which aren’t simply seemingly, however intentionally designed to prejudice the peaceable and truthful conduct of elections, then it can not undertake a unique customary in a case the place a real concern has been voiced by one other celebration,” the Congress mentioned.

The actions of the EC through the current elections, the Congress alleged, are “prima facie violative of the Articles 14 and 21 of the Structure of India, which offer a basic assure towards arbitrariness in administrative motion in addition to towards bias, official acts of mala fide, violations of pure justice and which offer probably the most important assure of equality.”

“To place it plainly, we’re left with no choice however to regretfully state that that the ECI can by no means enable itself to be seen as an organisation that on the one hand turns a Nelsonian blind eye to egregious violations by the ruling celebration and its excessive publish holders, and on the opposite is seen as sadly tilting at windmills so far as the members within the opposition area are involved, together with the Congress,” the celebration mentioned in its reply.

“This therapy of the Election Fee isn’t solely violative of the Basic Ensures of the Structure, nevertheless it instantly violates the idea of equality earlier than the legislation and the conduct of ‘Free and Honest’ elections,” it mentioned.