New Delhi, Oct 21 (UNI) Election Commission on Wednesday again issued advisory to Political Parties to observe utmost vigil and care to abide by extant instructions during campaigning in the period of Pandemic COVID-19.
In its Advisory to Political Parties for campaigning during the period of COVID-19 pandemic, the Election Commission said, 'Instances of such public meetings have come to notice of the Commission, where large number of crowds have assembled in utter violation of social distancing and the political leaders/campaigners are addressing the gathering without wearing masks in complete disregard of the guidelines/instructions issued by Election Commission.'
'By doing so, the political parties and candidates are not only flouting the guidelines of the Commission with impunity, but exposing themselves as well as the public attending the rallies/meetings to the danger of infection during the pandemic,' the advisory said.
'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,' the advisory said.
'The Commission has taken a serious view of the laxity on the part of political parties and candidates, on the ground, in terms of maintaining crowd discipline, and hereby reiterates and further advises them to demonstrate utmost vigil and care during electioneering,' it said.
'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 organizers responsible for such violations. Separate instructions for strict compliance of guidelines are being issued to Chief Electoral Officers and State Governments of poll going states,' it said.
Earlier, on October 9, Election Commission vide its Advisory had sought the cooperation of all political parties to follow instructions related to pandemic COVID-19 at all stages, especially wherever public interface in physical form is involved. Observance of the preventive measures including wearing mask, use of sanitizer, observance of social distancing is a duty cast upon all the stakeholders in the larger interest of public health.
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