BHOPAL: The organisers of two programmes, which were attended by Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in Bhopal, were booked for poll code violation.
BJP MLA from Bhopal Madhya seat Surendra Nath Singh, who is also the party’s district president, is one of the two organisers booked under Section 188 of IPC for the poll code violation.
Both the cases were lodged at a Bhopal police station following complaints by the Congress to the Election Commission.
The first of the two cases were lodged on Sunday and pertains to a 'Sant Samagam' (a conclave of Hindu seers) held on October 22. At that conclave, the seers had heaped praises for the work done by Chouhan and blessed him with success.
The opposition Congress had complained to the MP Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), alleging the violation of model code of conduct. "After vetting the complaint, it was found that neither permission was given to the organisers for the event nor conditions relating to the programme were met," state CEO VL Kantha Rao said.
According to sub-inspector and investigating officer VS Kushwah, the case was lodged against Rajesh Tiwari, who is the head of Raja Bhoj Ekal Abhiyan Kalyan Samiti.
The second case pertains to the Youth Town Hall event organised by the BJP at the Ravindra Bhawan in Bhopal on Sunday. "There are clear-cut EC guidelines which prohibit the use of children at any poll-related political event. It was found that school children in uniform were present at the Youth Town Hall event, which amounted to the violation of the model code of conduct," Rao said.
Recently, a local BJP leader in Indore district was booked for roping in children during the CM's Jan Ashirvad Yatra in Indore's Sanwer constituency.
Meanwhile, Mathura-based religious preacher Devkinandan Thakur was taken into custody on Sunday evening in Datia district for violating model code of conduct. Thakur had taken out a rally under the banner of Akhand Bharat Mission (which has been protesting against the amended SC/ST Atrocities Act). He, however, was released later on bail.