New Delhi, May 8
Keeping alive the uncertainty over derecognition of the BJP, the Election Commission today directed the party to strongly condemn the contents of the controversial CD in public.
The commission kept the issue of derecognition pending till the investigation by the UP police on the FIR registered against those involved in the production and distribution of the material.
Although the commission ruled out CBI probe at this juncture, it observed that after assessing the progress of the investigation, it would decide on the appropriate course of action at a later stage.
The BJP “should make an official declaration at the national level that the party condemns, without any reservation whatsoever, the contents of the CD so that the stand taken by the party before the commission becomes publicly known to the country and public at large,” the three-member commission said in its 21-page order.
Taking note of media reports of statements made by senior BJP leaders, including L.K Advani, Kalyan Singh and Lalji Tandon, that there was nothing offensive in the CD, the commission said this had created a doubt, a genuine doubt, in the minds of the general public whether BJP had disowned the CD and condemned its contents or it stood by its comments.
The commission came out with the order on the CD that was released at a press conference of senior BJP leader Lalji Tandon in Lucknow. The party, however, distanced itself from it by saying it was put inside a campaign kit bag by a functionary who has since been expelled from the party.
The poll panel headed by the Chief Election Commissioner N.Gopalaswami, however, kept the derecognition under para 16A of the Symbols Order pending against the BJP till the completion of the probe by the police.
The commission reserves the right to take further action under the Symbols Order after the completion of the investigation by the state police authorities and “if it reveals the involvement of the leaders of the party at the national or state level in the production, distribution and dissemination of the CD.”
Taking suo moto cognisance of the issue, the poll panel had directed the filing of FIR against the BJP president Rajnath Singh, senior party leader Lalji Tandon and all those responsible for production of the CD, including those who acted in it and wrote the script as well as those involved in the release, distribution and display of the CD.
