New Delhi: A delegation of Congress party, on Tuesday, approached the Election Commission of India to file a complaint against Assam Chief Minister Hemant Biswa Sarma for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the by-polls in the state.
While speaking to media after the meeting, Congress Chief spokesperson Randeep Singh Surjewala said, "We demanded from the Election Commission that strict action should be taken against the way in which the voters in Assam by-elections are being lured, intimidated, misuse of government machinery and the way all statements on video are of Chief Minister. Hemant Biswa Sarma should be booked under Section 123, Representation of the People Act and he should be debarred on the charges of taking bribery."
He also took a dig at the Assam CM by saying that he is a regular offender of the Model Code of Conduct.
Assam Congress General Secretary Jitendra Singh said, "The administrative officials and police in Assam are working as workers of the Bharatiya Janata Party. The leaders, the public are being intimidated. Sarma has violated the model code of conduct many times but now he is offering a bribe openly saying that if anyone comes as MLA from other parties and joins Bharatiya Janata Party, then he would give Rs 2,000 crore worth of development projects."
The state unit of Congress had also approached Election Commission to demand that Sarma should be debarred from campaigning based on the audio-visual evidence, saying this would set a precedent that the poll rules needed to be followed and not disregarded by those in power.
