Karat slams EC, writes to President

The CPI(M) Gen Secy said it was a well-established fact that no judicial or quasi-judicial body can seek materials from a party.

The CPI(M) on Saturday petitioned President APJ Abdul Kalam complaining against the Election Commission's "unjustified" decision to seek details of office of profit of party MPs merely on the basis of allegations by a Trianamool Congress MP.

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In a letter to Kalam, party General Secretary Prakash Karat said it was a well-established fact that no judicial or quasi-judicial body can seek materials from a party with a view to make out a case of action, where none is disclosed.

"It was incumbent on the EC to reject the purported petition/complaint of Mukul Roy which did not disclose any prima-facie case whatsoever and should have given its opinion to the President that that purported complaint did not disclose even the slightest prima-facie case of which cognisance should be taken," he said.

Surprisingly, Karat said, instead of rejecting the petition the EC "gratuitously" sought to give an opportunity to Roy to try and make out a case by inviting him to furnish documents and materials.

"We strongly believe that there has been an unwarranted and unjustified exercise of power and authority on the part of the Election Commission of India --unwarranted because it has violated basic norms of jurisprudence, and unjustified because it has transgressed all rules of fair play," he added.