Hyderabad, July 04: Making it clear that the Election Commission would not give specific directions to the police for arresting or registering a case against any person who indulged in provocative or objectionable remarks, chief electoral officer IV Subba Rao today appealed to all political parties to respect provisions of the law and the model code of conduct, and to act accordingly in order to ensure a free and fair poll.
“It is not correct to say that the Election Commission has ordered the police to arrest Medak MP Vijayashanti. As part of their duty, the police will enforce the existing laws. Any code violation will be dealt with strictly,” he told reporters.
Asked about Medak MP Vijayashanthi’s claim that she had made a statement at a party meeting, but not in the public, the CEO said that an issue which was published by the media could not be treated as an incamera meeting. Even in the 2008 bypolls, EC issued notices to Rajasekhara Reddy, N Chandrababu Naidu and KCR, he said.
–Agencies