Kiran Bedi violated MCC: CPM petitions EC

PUDUCHERRY : Lieutenant Governor Kiran Bedi is colluding with BJP, AINRC and disqualified Thattanchavady MLA Ashok Anand to scuttle bypolls to the Assembly seat, the CPI(M) has alleged. The Marxist party, on Sunday, petitioned the President of India and Election Commission demanding Bedi to be sent on leave or transferred till the Model Code of Conduct is in place, to ensure free and fair elections. 

“Bedi is misinterpreting the Supreme Court judgment in Lilly Thomas versus Union of India case of 2005, to favour Ashok Anand, who has been disqualified after being convicted in a disproportionate assets case,” CPI(M) leader T Murugan said on Sunday. 

Murugan also accused Bedi of forwarding a representation made to her by Ashok Anand to the President. 
In the representation, Ashok Anand claimed that his conviction was under IPC and not under the Prevention of Corruption Act. Hence, he stated, filling of seat vacated by him may await the decision of the President or the Governor. He also urged for the Thattanchavady bypolls to be deferred. 

Murugan said Ashok obtained Bedi’s letter to the President by filing an RTI and used that to file a case in the Madras High Court to stay the bypolls. The court, however, dismissed the petition. 
“Ashok Anand, was convicted under the Prevention of Corruption Act on October 30, 2018. Bedi’s letter to the President dated March 15 was a violation of the model code that came into effect on March 10. Anand has challenged his conviction at Madras High Court and the matter is sub judice. Bedi has illegally forwarded her recommendations to the President while the matter is still sub judice,” Murugan said.