Both will be facing an inquiry in connection with violating election model code of conduct
Both will be facing an inquiry in connection with violating election model code of conduct
For the first time in the history of independent India, a group of Pakistani journalists will be facing a probe for influencing Indian voters and the electoral process.
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The Election Commission of India has directed the Delhi Police and the District Commissioner of New Delhi to look into the comments made by the visiting journalists at a media conclave on April 15, allegedly blaming India for the terrorist attack on the Lahore police academy.
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The Election Commission in its order dated May 2, has asked the authorities to verify the comments and, if proved true, file an FIR against them and the organisers of the seminar under Section 171(c) of the IPC.
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Interestingly, the order came after Sri Ram Sene (SRS) activist Binay Singh brought the comments to the poll panel's notice.
Singh, with his followers, had barged into the seminar and shouted slogans against Pakistan and the organisers.
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He is also known for throwing the shoe at the Booker Prize winning author Arundhati Roy, who was present at the programme, and later put it up for auction.
"The sections of IPC under which the CEC has issued the order demands immediate registration of an FIR and investigation by the police.
The accused could also be arrested if found guilty and it's a serious matter considering that the statement was made against a member of Parliament when the model code of conduct was already in place," said noted Supreme Court lawyer HP Sharma.
The media conference was organised under the banner of Foundation of Media Professionals (FMP) and attended by journalists from India and Pakistan.
"The invited correspondents from Pakistan referred to a statement by Congress President Sonia Gandhi in which she had said that India will reply to the attack on Mumbai and the perpetrators will not be forgiven.
The correspondents said that they had enough reasons to believe that the Lahore attack was carried out by India as a revenge for the Mumbai mayhem," Binay Kumar Singh, SRS general secretary and north India head told MiD DAY.
Singh had written to the Election Commission about the comments taking cognizance of which, Deputy Chief Electoral Officer JK Sharma, in a letter to the police commissioner of Delhi asked for a inquiry into the matter.
The commissioner directed the Tughlaq Road police station to carry out the inquiry.
Apart from Roy, the editor of Cobrapost.com, Anirudh Behal, and various other noted media professionals attended the seminar.
The compliant was lodged by Singh a few days after the incident where he cited sections from the IPC under which the journalists from both the countries should be booked for influencing the voters and the election process.
"Besides influencing voters, the coordinators of the event are also accused of dishonoring the National Flag by placing it on the podium which was used by the speakers," said Singh.
Roy was not available for comment and calls to her landline telephone went unanswered.
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A Delhi police official, wishing anonymity, said that that there was sufficient evidence to book the organisers under the prescribed Sections of the IPC. "We will start recording statements in a day or two," he said.
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