The election commission has issued separate notices to Harish Rawat, Congress candidate from the Nainital- Udham Singh Nagar Lok Sabha seat, and a local BJP leader in Udham Singh Nagar for holding election rallies at religious shrines in the district.

They have been asked to reply to the notices within three days.

Assistant returning officer Himanshu Khurana, who is also sub-divisional magistrate (SDM) Kashipur in Udham Singh Nagar, said candidates cannot hold election rallies at religious shrines as it was a violation of the model code of conduct.

“Harish Rawat addressed an election rally at a ‘mazaar’ (mausoleum or tomb shrine) at village Guldiya in Kashipur on Saturday. We have a video recording of the rally at the shrine. So, we have issued him notice and asked him to reply within three days,” he said.

Khurana said former BJP district unit president Ram Mehrotra has also been issued a notice as he had organised an election rally in the premises of a Shiv Temple at Dakiya Gulabo village for BJP candidate Ajay Bhatt on March 29.

“But when Ajay Bhatt came to know that we are about to take action in the matter, he didn’t go to address the rally. Mehrotra was programme manager for the rally at Dakiya Gulabo. So, we have issued a notice to him,” he said.

On March 28, the election commission issued a notice to Rawat for not taking permission for a rally in Jeolikot area in Nainital district. The notice was issued by Vinod Kumar, assistant returning officer Nainital.

Lok Sabha Elections 2019: All you need to know about Uttarakhand

First Published: Apr 01, 2019 16:57 IST