New Delhi : The Congress on Monday rushed to the Election Commission to take action against BJP President Amit Shah and Karnataka BJP chief B S Yeddyurappa for resorting to “cheque politics” to buy votes in the Karnataka Assembly elections in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
A party deputation led by senior advocate and MP Dr Abhishek Manu Singhvi urged the EC to take criminal action against both for the offence of influencing the voters that is punishable with one year in jail for giving a cheque of Rs 5 lakh on March 30 to the family of one Raju who had died 18 months ago. This is violation of Para 1(4) of the Model Code of Conduct, they said.
In a statement Singhvi and Jaiveer Shergill, a national media panelist, said: “Devoid of any positive agenda and vision, the BJP has become so desperate from prospects of losing the election that Amit Shah is using the ‘’dead’’ as a political tool to influence the voters.” They asked Shah to explain how come he suddenly remembers Raju and his family members after 18 months of his death and never visited his house despite making several trips to Karnataka in the past 1.5 years.
“BJP is using notes to influence voters, resorting to use of money power to buy people and crush their right to vote freely without any interference or influence. Let BJP know that votes of people in Karnataka are not for sale and distributing cheques will not get them votes. BJP has a notorious track record of subverting democracy by using unfair means to satisfy their appetite for power at any cost,” the two leaders said.