Shillong, April 06: The Meghalaya BJP state unit has sent a complaints to the Chief Electoral officer against the congress Minister AL Hek for violating the Model Code of Conduct while addressing the MP Election campaign for the Congress Candidate Mr Vincent H Pala at Golflink.
The BJP in the complaints said that during the campaign the minister said that if they elect the Congress candidate the MHIS scheme will be enhance from Ts.1.63 lakhs to Rs.2.00 lakhs.
The BJP explain that on 1st April 2014, 8:00 PM at Golf links Shri Hek addressing the meeting organized by the Congress Party promised the allocation by the Government to the Health Insurance Scheme shall be raised from the current Rs. 1.63lakhs to Rs. 2lakhs if the people voted the Congress candidate Shri Vincent Pala from the Shillong Constituency to Parliament a second time.
And on the 4th April, 7:00 PM at Laban. Shri Hek repeated this promise at the public meeting.And 4 April, 9:00 PM at Mawprem. Shri Hek made the same promise for the third time at the public meeting held here.
The BJP said that this, is a clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct as laid by the Commission (vide VII Instruction to Party in Power) that “(VI) from the time of elections are announced by the Commission Ministers and other authorities shall not- “(a) Announce any financial grants in any form or promises thereof.”
The BJP views with concern the advantage taken of his position by the Minister concerned to make election promises to the public. We request that you will enquire into the matter and take appropriate action. The complaint was sign by the president of the party Mr KS Lyngdoh.(SP News)
Bribing The Voters
Retired Chief Election Commissioner , S Y Quraishi , is all set to release his book ,
” The Undocumented Wonder : The Making of the Great Indian Election ”
Talking to DNA ( 15 April 2014 ) he listed some 40 different ways in which , Political Parties try to bribe voters
Some of these are :
> Cash
> Depositing money in voter’s bank account
> Liquor Bottles
> LPG Cylinders
> Free Rice / Food Packets
> Payments of Electricity / Water Bills
> Mass Feasts
> Screening of films
> Laptops / Tablets
> Bicycles
> Mangal Sutras
> Gold Coins
> Buffalos
> Colour TV
> Mixer – Grinder
> Unemployment Allowance
> Waiver of loans
> Free Houses ……etc
Political Parties are happy that Mr Quarishi , being an honest / straight forward person , could imagine only 10 % of the ways of bribing voters !
And who cares that the EC has managed to seize a meager Rs 300 crores worth of cash so far during the current season , when all of the Rs 40,000 Crores worth of black money ( @ Rs 5 crores per candidate * 8,000 candidates ) , has escaped un-noticed ( looking other way ? ) by ,
> Income Tax Department
> Enforcement Directorate
> CAG / CVC
> Election Commission…..etc
Even the almighty Supreme Court seemed helpless , when it held recently :
” Although promises of distribution of freebies may not technically constitute corrupt practice , under the Representation of People Act , they vitiate the electoral process by influencing voters and disturbing the level playing between contesting parties ”
And since there is no difference of opinion between the political parties when it comes to exploiting the poverty of 400 million BPL ( Below the Poverty Line ) voters , I would not be surprised if the next government at the Centre , introduces a ,
” Bribe ( given ) Politically ( is ) Legal Bill ” ( for BPL people ! )
in the very first session of 16th Lok Sabha !
Expect it to be passed unanimously – and without a debate !
Political parties are firm believer of what Kaushik Basu ( onetime advisor to PM ) once said ( – although in a different context ) ,
” Giving bribe must not be treated as crime
Ordinary citizens are forced to give bribes when they are denied , service that is legitimately due to them
If they are held innocent , they will come forward and report all instances when they were forced to bribe bureaucrats
Only bribe-takers must be punished ”
* hemen parekh ( 28 April 2014 / Mumbai )