The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Tuesday banned all political conferences at Damdama Sahib, Bathinda, during the Baisakhi celebrations on April 13.
The ban follows the ECI’s bar on political conferences during the Hola Mohalla celebrations which concluded on Monday.
The ECI has also put Sunday’s speech by Punjab chief minister Parkash Singh Badal during the Hola Mohalla celebrations under the scanner. In the speech, Badal had reportedly compared the ban on political conference to the Emergency, and blamed the Congress-led UPA government for the ECI ban that had “curbed religious freedom”. “We are examining his (Badal’s) speech and would send the report to the ECI for a final decision,” said Punjab additional chief electoral officer Raminder Singh.
The ECI maintained silence on Badal’s allegation that it had imposed the ban on political conferences at the behest of the Congress.The SAD termes the ban “an infringement of rights”.