Punjab Pradesh Congress Committee President Capt Amarinder Singh today condemned the Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for interfere into the functioning of the Election Commission by trying to drag it into the unnecessary controversies. He warned against setting a dangerous precedent of meddling into the commission affairs which is not good for a healthy democracy.
Reacting to Mr Badal’s accusations against the commission that it was going beyond its brief, Capt Amarinder asked the Chief Minister to refer to the Representation of the People Act, 1951 rather than interfering in its day to day functioning. He said, Mr Badal’s frustration was understandable as he has found that things were no longer under his control and the elections were going to be held in an impartial manner.
The former Chief Minister said that Mr Badal seems to be upset over his plans going haywire with the Election Commission being alert about his machinations. “If EC is acting on the complaints and taking decisions in the public interest why should it disturb Mr Badal?” he asked, while adding, “finding fault with others for his own failures is Mr Badal’s typical character”.
“Having realized that ground was slipping beneath his feet and his party was certain to get defeated, Mr Badal has so calculatedly started preparing an alibi so that tomorrow, when he loses the elections, he can blame the commission for the same and question the fairness of the elections”, he observed while asking, “otherwise what is the provocation for Mr Badal to drag the commission into such controversies?”
The PCC President warned against such interference into the functioning of an independent, impartial and internationally acknowledged institution like the Election Commission of India. “This threatens to set a dangerous precedent of trying to interfere in its functioning”, he warned, while adding, “in the greater interest of democracy and for the conduct of fair elections the independence of the Election Commission is important and any effort or attempt to subvert and sabotage it, as Mr Badal is trying to do, must not only be resisted but condemned with due scorn it deserves”.