A political battle has erupted over burqa and identity cards amid voting in the by-elections of nine assembly seats in UP. The opposition Samajwadi Party (SP) has complained to the Election Commission, accusing the police administration of stopping its voters from voting under pressure from the ruling party. Taking action on the complaint of SP, the Election Commission has suspended more than half a dozen police officers from Kanpur to Moradabad and Muzaffarnagar. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also complained about polling being conducted on fake identity cards and without ensuring the identity of the pardhanshi women. Sisamau of Kanpur has become the center of this nose-to-nose battle for both SP and BJP.
SP complained about policemen checking voter ID cards despite the instructions of the Election Commission in Sisamau assembly constituency. A video also surfaced in which policemen were seen checking the identity cards of voters and sending them back, stopping them from casting their votes. This video was allegedly of Sisamau. After this video surfaced, the Election Commission has suspended Sub Inspectors Arun Kumar Singh and Rakesh Kumar Nadar with immediate effect.
Election Commission gave instructions to officials
The Election Commission has given strict instructions to the Chief Electoral Officer of UP, all District Election Officers and every Returning Officer to ensure a fair voting process. The Election Commission has instructed the officials to take immediate cognizance of the complaints and take prompt action, to give this information through social media by tagging the complainant and has also said that no eligible voter should be stopped from voting. Any kind of partisan attitude will not be tolerated during voting. Strict action will be taken if found guilty after investigating the complaint.
Who can see the voter’s face or ID?
The Election Commission has already given clear instructions that no policeman can check the ID of any person arriving to vote. The police will not investigate or verify any voter in any way. According to the guidelines of the Election Commission, this right rests with the team of polling personnel inside the polling booth. Agents of polling parties and candidates can verify the voters. The duty of the police is to maintain law and order at the polling station. It is noteworthy that the voting personnel match the face with the voter identity card and the photograph printed on it inside the polling booth.
BJP candidate made these allegations
BJP candidate from the hot seat of Sisamau, Suresh Awasthi, has accused his polling agent of misbehavior at a polling booth. Suresh Awasthi also accused his vehicle of stone pelting from behind and put SP in the dock for this incident. A case of ruckus has also come to light at the polling booth of Dayanand Hansmukhi Devi Girls Inter College located in Civil Lines, accusing BJP councilors and workers of stopping the party voters from casting their votes.
Also read: ‘Pension, PF, respect, everything will be lost…’ Akhilesh warned officers on ‘irregularities’ in voting.
What did Akhilesh Yadav say
SP chief Akhilesh Yadav held a press conference and accused the police administration of stopping his party’s voters from voting. Akhilesh Yadav made a scathing attack on CM Yogi Adityanath and BJP and said that their throne is shaking. Their own voters are not turning out. They are losing and due to this fear they are not allowing SP voters to vote. He also said in a warning manner to the police administration officials that our people are collecting all the videos and photos.
Also read: Multi-cornered contest, question of credibility… Why is the political temperature high on Meerapur seat in UP by-election?
Akhilesh also listed the names of some officers and said that the result of this election will be in our favor but the court will not spare any of these officers who commit irregularities. While warning of taking legal action, he also said that dishonest officers will not only be tagged as dishonest, they will also lose their job, pension and respect. I will seek information about the officers who have snatched voter ID cards in Meerpur. BJP wants to win this by-election not by votes but by mistake.
Also read: UP by-election: EC action on SP’s complaint, 7 policemen suspended, clash and stone pelting in Sisamau
Akhilesh Yadav also said that the police cannot check the IDs of voters anywhere, these instructions have been given by the Election Commission. Expressing confidence in the Election Commission, he expressed confidence that the Commission will take action against dishonest officials.
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