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Lok Sabha elections 2019| Enforcement agencies must act neutrally, be impartial: EC
The poll panel’s advice came amid allegations that the government was using the agencies to target rival parties in the poll season.
The election commission (EC) said on Sunday all “enforcement actions” during the election period should be “absolutely neutral, impartial and non-discriminatory”, an advisory that came amid allegations by some opposition parties that the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is using central agencies to intimidate its political opponents.
In a press note issued on Sunday evening, the election watchdog said: “Use of money power with the intention of influencing voter behaviour has over the years emerged as one of the biggest challenges for the conduct of free, fair, ethical and credible elections, in the process undermining the very fabric of our democracy.”
Cash, illegal liquor and drugs valued at about ₹1,460 crore have been seized across India since the schedule for this summer’s Lok Sabha elections was announced, according to official data quoted by the Press Trust of India.
“The Election Commission would like to strongly advise that all enforcement actions during the election period, even when conducted ruthlessly with a view to curb this blatant electoral malpractice, should be absolutely neutral, impartial and non-discriminatory,” it added.
Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and senior leaders of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) ruling coalition recently protested against what they said was “high-handedness” by the central government after a state minister said the income tax department had conducted a raid on his house. The department, however, denied conducting raids on any political leader’s residence in the case.
The BJP has said that attributing political motive to actions by central enforcement agencies is a “frivolous act”.
In its advisory, the EC said: “It is understood that all enforcement agencies working under the administrative control of the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance must be undertaking enforcement actions based on a variety of inputs and actionable intelligence, as per extant laws.”
“Further, in case of suspected use of such illicit money for electoral purposes, the CEO [chief electoral officer] should be kept suitably informed during the MCC [model code of conduct] period,” it added.
Karnataka chief minister HD Kumaraswamy and senior leaders of the Congress-Janata Dal (Secular) ruling coalition recently protested against what they said was “high-handedness” by the central government after a state minister said the income tax department had conducted a raid on his house. The department, however, denied conducting raids on any political leader’s residence in the case.
The BJP has said that attributing political motive to actions by central enforcement agencies is a “frivolous act”.
In its advisory, the EC said: “It is understood that all enforcement agencies working under the administrative control of the Department of Revenue, Ministry of Finance must be undertaking enforcement actions based on a variety of inputs and actionable intelligence, as per extant laws.”
“Further, in case of suspected use of such illicit money for electoral purposes, the CEO [chief electoral officer] should be kept suitably informed during the MCC [model code of conduct] period,” it added.
