CEC to meet disabled activists

CEC TS Krishnamurthy will meet disabled people on April 5 to discuss the problems faced by them in exercising their franchise and facilitate voting for them.

Chief Election Commissioner TS Krishnamurthy will meet disabled people on April 5 to discuss the problems faced by them in exercising their franchise, Convenor of Disabled Rights Group Javed Abidi said here.

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"I got a telephonic message from Krishnamurthy who is away in Srinagar that he will be meeting us on Monday to discuss the problems faced by disabled in exercising their voting rights," he told reporters.

Activists of DRG on April 1 gheraoed the office of the CEC to protest against EC's step-motherly treatment to 4.5 crore disabled in the country who will be participating in the forthcoming general election.

"This is the fourth election after 1995 Disabled Act was passed by Parliament that guarantees free access to public places. The EC has violated this fundamental right and we will not suffer it silently any more," he said.

Among other demands, the DRG said that ramps should be arranged in polling booths so that the physically challenged can enter the voting booth alone and sign language interpreters be appointed for the dumb and deaf who were often humiliated by polling booth staff.