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Rediff.com  » Election » Mulayam under EC scanner for threatening woman DM

Mulayam under EC scanner for threatening woman DM

Source: PTI
March 24, 2009 20:39 IST
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Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav is under the scanner of the Election Commission which on Tuesday received the video footage of a meeting where he allegedly threatened a woman district magistrate asking her to mend ways within a week after arms licenses were cancelled in his Mainpuri constituency.

Taking note of Mulayam's controversial remarks against Ministhy Dileep at the meeting in Mainpuri, the Uttar Pradesh electoral officer on Tuesday forwarded its report along with the CD containing the footage to the Election Commission which has the option to issue notice to the former chief minister.

Yadav had warned that he would register a complaint with the Election Commission against the DM whom he accused of losing her sense of proportion and not being able to differentiate between a criminal and a common man.

An angry Yadav had also suggested that she should get her "head checked" and asked her to mend ways within a week.

"We have received a report of the assistant returning officer alongwith the CD from the Mainpuri district magistrate, which had been forwarded to the EC, which will decide whether the comments made by the SP chief amounted to violation of the model code of conduct or not," additional Chief Electoral Officer Amrit Abhijat said in Lucknow.

In New Delhi, the Bharatiya Janata Party quickly latched on the controversy after its candidate Varun Gandhi was censured and condemned by the EC for his anti-Muslim speeches and slammed the poll body for not taking any action against Mulayam so far for alleged poll code violation.

Though Abhijat refused to divulge the contents of the report submitted by the district magistrate, he said that some portions of the speeches including one where SP chief referred to the gender of the official have been quoted by the ARO.

 "The report is a statement of facts and the EC will decide whether they are objectionable or not," Abhijat said.

The BJP alleged that the EC was being "partisan" in targeting Varun Gandhi, while letting off others.

"The leader of Mulayam Singh Yadav's stature directly threatening a Returning Officer is a serious matter. The Election Commission must take suo motu notice and initiate action," BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar told PTI.

Mulayam on Monday allegedly asked the DM to mend her ways within a week otherwise he would register a complaint against her with the Election Commission for affecting her elections.

"Being a woman I respect her and restraining myself and not using harsh words against her. She should mend her ways within a week or I will make a complaint against her with the Election Commission", Mulayam said while addressing an election meeting in Mainpuri on Monday.

Mulayam said the official''s action was affecting the elections. Mulayam said the way in which the DM (who is also district election officer) was cancelling arms licences had created an atmosphere of terror in the district.

"This is also affecting my elections and it is not tolerable", he said. "She has lost her sense of proportion and discrimination between a criminal and a common man. She should get her head checked", Yadav had said angrily.

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