EC to probe PM's rally for "communal" propaganda
PTI, PANAJI | 03 March 2012 00:04 IST
Prime Minister Manmohan Singh's election meeting in Goa on Wednesday has got embroiled in a controversy with the Election Commission launching a probe into alleged distribution of 'communal material' at the venue.
Hundreds of people attending Singh's rally at Sankhalim, about 40 km from Panaji, were allegedly handed out the special supplement of a weekly magazine containing communally sensitive material.
"The complaint has been referred to the media monitoring committee of the EC and commission officials are looking into it," Joint Chief Electoral Officer, Narayan Navti said in Panaji.
The supplement contained an appeal to not vote for the "communal Opposition which believes in massacre of Christians and Muslims". BJP is the main opposition party in the state Assembly.
The EC, apart from receiving complaints from independent sources, also got one from BJP following which a probe has been ordered.
The meeting on February 29 was marred by a technical glitch when the public address system conked out without the Prime Minister realising it for some time and continuing his address.
Senior Congress leaders from the state were seen running to set right the fault which was rectified after about 30 minutes as Singh watched the proceedings patiently.
This weekly magazine is notorious in the sense it has published openly with names of the Politicians and their involvement in corrupt practices, land deal commissions, involvement in drug trade, crimes, rapes ....but surprising to see no action of any sort is initiated against this magazine by those who have been openly named and accused by it....nor it is dragged to Courts.....Anyway our Constitutional Bodies have been made toothless to take any strong action and the common man has seen this in so many cases in the recent past where it has been repeatedly challenged but no action has been seen....