Source: The Hindu, April 25, 2009
EC to look into attacks on ANHAD activists
Special Correspondent
Despite complaints to the police no case was registered
BJP and VHP workers carried out the attacks
Guidelines on campaigning by civil society sought
NEW DELHI: Chief Election Commissioner Navin B. Chawla and other Election Commissioners have promised the Commission’s intervention in the filing of an FIR; and allowing election campaign by the civil society in a democratic manner in the country.
They gave this assurance to a delegation of the ANHAD (Act Now for Harmony And Democracy) activists, led by its Managing Trustee Shabnam Hashmi, who alleged attacks on its volunteers by the BJP and the VHP workers in Gandhinagar (Gujarat), contested by BJP prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani, on April 20. They said that despite complaints to the local police and the Police Commissioner no case was registered. Ms. Hashmi expressed the hope that the Commission would do something as they had also asked for issuance of guidelines to the administration and the police on allowing the civil society groups, activists and ordinary citizens to campaign and ensuring their safety.
The ANHAD is a trust that works towards pluralism, secularism and democracy. Its activists were beaten up when they were campaigning in Naranpura in Shastri Nagar asking people to use their constitutional rights and exercise their franchise. The BJP cadres even stopped them from filing a police complaint, said ANHAD’s Gujarat State Coordinator Sachin Pandya.
Action against Mahesh Giri
A Congress delegation consisting of party treasurer Motilal Vohra and spokesperson Abishek Singhvi met the Commission and sought action against Swami Mahesh Giri for allegedly seeking support in the name of religion during a discourse on April 12 at Bhavnagar. They also sought a ban on a similar meeting to be addressed by him on April 26 in Ahmedabad to be participated by BJP prime ministerial candidate L.K. Advani contesting from Gandhinagar.
Later Mr. Singhvi told journalists that the Commission promised to direct the Gujarat police to file an FIR against Swami Mahesh Giri and include the expenses for organising the April 12 meeting to the election expenditure of the local BJP candidate Rajendrasinh Rana. Regarding the April 26 meeting it promised to videograph the entire event.
The former Karnataka Chief Minister, M. Veerappa Moily, contesting from Chikkaballapur (Karnataka) Lok Sabha seat has sought a repoll in Alipura and Gowribiddanur areas in the constituency, where the voters boycotted the poll on some local issues on April 23.
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