EC asks for report from officials after Prakash Ambedkar claims he will jail poll body
Ambedkar claimed at a rally in Yavatmal that his alliance will imprison the election body for prohibiting discussion about the Pulwama attack.
The Maharashtra State Election Commission on Thursday sought a report from polling officials after political leader Prakash Ambedkar claimed that he will jail the poll body if his party comes to power, PTI reported quoting Additional Chief Electoral Officer Dilip Shinde.
“You must not talk about Pulwama [the poll body tells us],” Ambedkar said at a rally in Yavatmal district in Maharashtra earlier in the day, Times Now reported. “We will talk about it, the Constitution has given us the right to do so. If we come to power, we will jail the Election Commission for two days.”
Yavatmal District Collector Ajay Gulhane lodged a complaint against Ambedkar and a case under Sections 503 (criminal intimidation), 505 (statements conducing to public mischief) and 189 (threat of injury to public servant) was registered against him.
However, Ambedkar claimed it was a “general statement”. “I said it in a general sense, but my comment on the Election Commission was singled out,” he told PTI.
Ambedkar, leader of the Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi and Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh, is contesting the Lok Sabha elections from Akola and Solapur. The Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi, Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh, and Asaduddin Owaisi’s All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen are in an alliance.
The Lok Sabha elections will be held in seven phases from April 11 to May 19, and the results declared on May 23.
