EC rejects proposal to stamp ‘Beti Bachao’ logo on hands

Geetanjali Gayatri

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Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, January 5

The State Election Commission, Haryana, has rejected the proposal of the state government to stamp the Beti Bachao, Beti Padhao logo on voters’ hands during polling for the panchayat elections.

The state Women and Child Department had proposed that the logo be stamped on the hand of every voter along with the indelible ink applied on the finger after he castes vote. The idea of the initiative was to spread the message of preventing female foeticide and promoting girls education.

In its proposal, the department had mentioned that the stamping was a voluntary exercise and it would not be “forced” on the voters.

Sources said the commission had reservations about the logo since it was out-and-out a government programme, which was launched by Prime Minister Narendra Modi last January from Panipat.

The sources said such a proposal could not qualify as “merely an awareness campaign” and the commission did not want to court controversy by giving its nod to such a proposal.

The sources claimed the commission had sent a written reply to the Women and Child Development Department rejecting the proposal. The commission had received it in October, but did not decide the matter since the panchayat elections in Haryana hit a roadblock after qualifications for the candidates were challenged in court.