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Decision on saree incident only after proper verification: CEC
The CEC has said that they would announce their decision on saree distribution case in Lucknow only after proper verification.
Chief Election Commissioner TS Krishna Murthy on Thursday dismissed suggestions that the Commission was 'dragging its feet' on the free-saree distribution in Prime Minister's Lucknow constituency, saying it would pronounce its decision only after proper investigation and verification.
"When courts take years, we take decisions within one or two months. We have to take a right decision, judicious decision and fair decision. We will go only by proper investigation, proper verification of facts", he told Karan Thapar's "Tonight at 10" programme in CNBC channel.
To a question that the Commission was prompt in giving its decision on PDP leader Mehbooba Mufti's alleged intimidation of voters, but was "dragging its feet" on the Lucknow incident, Murthy said the Commission's primary objective was to conduct elections and not involve itself in so many actions about model code of conduct.
Observing that the Commission received hundreds of complaints and hundreds of people wanting to meet the Commission, he said that if every complaint should be decided in a particular time frame, the Commission would not be able to conduct the elections.
"We have a system of every complaint being looked into. People should know that we have to analyse each one of the complaint and take decision on the basis of information and evidence available"', he said adding that if they cannot understand that "I am afraid they are not fair and they are not correct".
Denying the charge that the Commission did not take sufficient preventive measures in Bihar for the conduct of smooth polls, Murthy said that in the matter of arrangements the "best possible" deployment of observers and para military forces was made.
"I am sure when the election process is over, the political parties will realise the improved quality of elections now", the CEC said.
Refusing to be drawn into Union Minister Rajiv Pratap Rudy's charge that adequate security was not provided in the entire Chapra constituency, he said that the report of the two-member probe team was "under preparation".
On the issue of exit polls, the CEC preferring the "legislative route" said that the "Commission would go back to the Government and tell them what needs to be done".
Asked if the Commission could appeal to the newspapers against exit polls, he said "the appeal may have no significance."
"As far as we are concerned any action we take, it must be positive", Murthy said stressing the legislative route was best.
In response to a question on Patna High Court order on countermanding of polls in seats won by criminals, the CEC said there were "certain practical difficulties" in its implementation and the Supreme Court judgment in this regard would have to be awaited.
