NEW DELHI:
The Election Commission on Wednesday took a serious view of "laxity" on the part of political parties and candidates in ensuring adherence to
Covid-19 safety norms while campaigning for
Bihar polls and other bypolls.
The poll body reiterated its October 9
instructions asking parties and candidates to maintain crowd discipline and advised them to demonstrate utmost vigil and care during electioneering.
The Election Commission also said it expected the chief electoral officers and district machinery concerned to invoke appropriate penal provisions against the candidates as well as organisers for violating Covid safety protocols.
Stating that instances of public meetings, where large crowds had assembled in "utter violation of social distancing" and the political leaders/campaigners were addressing the gathering without wearing masks, had come to its notice, the poll panel warned that such conduct was not only flouting its guidelines with impunity but also exposing the campaigners and public attending the rallies to the risk of infection amid the pandemic.
"It does not need to be reiterated that during elections political parties/entities are the most important stakeholders in the electoral process and duty bound to observe the norms determined by the Commission for electioneering," EC said while reminding them of its advisory dated October 9, 2020, seeking the cooperation of all political parties to follow instructions related to Covid-19 at all stages, especially wherever public interface in physical form was involved. "Observance of the preventive measures including wearing mask, use of sanitiser, observance of social distancing is a duty cast upon all the stakeholders in the larger interest of public health," EC said, quoting from the advisory.
“As representatives of public, this onerous responsibility rests with the political parties to ensure that they not only cooperate with the district machineries in following the due norms of public health safety as prescribed, but also instil a sense of discipline for civic behaviour in their cadre while doing ground management during campaign times.," it had stated in the advisory.
Even the broad guidelines issued by EC on August 21, 2020, had stated that non-compliance of instructions during the period of public interface would attract actions as per provisions of Sections 51 to 60 of the Disaster Management Act, 2005 besides invocation of the Section 188 of IPC and other legal provisions.
"CEOs and the district machinery would be expected by the Commission to invoke appropriate and relevant penal provisions against the candidates concerned as well as the organisers responsible for such violations. Separate instructions for strict compliance of guidelines are being issued to CEOs and state governments of poll going states," EC said on Wednesday.