Women commission head booked for performing aarti of EVM

Pollice have booked Maharashtra State Women Commission chairperson and NCP leader Rupali Chakankar and seven others for performing aarti at a place where an electronic voting machine (EVM) was installed at the polling station on Tuesday

Pune: The police have booked Maharashtra State Women Commission chairperson and Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) leader Rupali Chakankar and seven others for performing aarti at a place where an electronic voting machine (EVM) was installed at the polling station on Tuesday at a time when voting is underway across 11 constituencies in Maharashtra, including Baramati.

Pollice have booked Maharashtra State Women Commission chairperson and NCP leader Rupali Chakankar and seven others for performing aarti at a place where an electronic voting machine (EVM) was installed at the polling station on Tuesday. (HT)

The incident was reported at a polling booth in Dhayari early Tuesday morning.

According to the police, Chakankar along with seven other workers of different political parties performed aarti of EVM machine despite officials deployed at the polling station stopping them.

Police officials said her act led to violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

In a photo that has gone viral on various social media platforms, Chakankar along with others are seen performing aarti of a temporary compartment set up inside a polling station where EVM is placed. According to officials, before the polling started, Chakankar entered the polling station with aarti thali and lamp and worshiped the machine.

While the photo attracted mixed reactions, many demanded strict action against Chakankar.

Sambhaji Kadam, deputy commissioner of police (DCP) Zone 3, said, “As per the complaint filed based on the instructions from officials of Election Commission of India, we have initiated a probe.”

The complaint has come up when Baramati constituency has witnessed a high voltage battle between Supriya Sule from National Congress Party (Sharadchandra Pawar) and Sunetra Pawar from NCP.

Sinhagad Road Police Station has filed a case under Sections 188, 186,132,131 of the IPC and other relevant sections.

Chakankar was unavailable for comment despite repeated attempts to contact her on phone.