Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) party candidate and renowned eye surgeon, Dr Daljit Singh, has lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) regarding applying of 'tilak' on the forehead of voters and playing devotional music at certain polling booths in Amritsar Lok Sabha constituency, saying it could "tilt voters' mind towards a particular party".
In his complaint faxed to EC on Wednesday, he maintained that while it was alright to set up model polling booths with medical and water facilities, airy rooms and welcome signs but the 'tilak' and music should have been avoided by the election authorities.
"The 'tilak' and music gave the impression that this was aimed at giving a tilt towards one party. The music was essentially devotional and (characteristic) of a particular community", he said in the complaint.
The election authorities her have taken a number of steps to welcome the people who come for voting, which included playing of devotional music outside polling booths and also applying 'tilak' on the foreheads of voters. Flowers were also offered to minor children who accompanied their parents to polling booths.
Talking to reporters , Dr Daljit Singh also came up with two sample lists of 'bogus' voters and said that in this computer age, how could such errors be possible without the connivance of others. "I wonder which party would benefit the most from these bogus and fake votes?" he said.
{{/usCountry}}Talking to reporters , Dr Daljit Singh also came up with two sample lists of 'bogus' voters and said that in this computer age, how could such errors be possible without the connivance of others. "I wonder which party would benefit the most from these bogus and fake votes?" he said.
{{/usCountry}}The AAP candidate, who was the first person to cast the vote at his polling station as it opened at 7 am, said his rivals, Arun Jaitley (BJP) and Capt Amarinder Singh (Congress), were ineligible to vote because they do not belong to "us or Amritsar".
Referring to Jaitley and Amarinder, he said, "The two big wrestlers have merely indulged in wrestling rather than coming up with some vision for the constituency".