NEW DELHI : The Election Commission of India (EC) on Wednesday directed all chief secretaries, Director Generals of Police (DGPs), and heads of Central agencies, including border guarding forces, to ensure peaceful Lok Sabha elections.
The poll panel, which held a high-level review meeting with senior officials from across the country, including those from states, Union Territories and Union ministries of home and defence, has also asked them to take preemptive measures to address communal tensions.
A senior EC official told this newspaper that the directives were aimed at maintaining law and order, preventing illicit activities and upholding integrity of the electoral process, adding that the recent violence in Manipur and its ramifications for the conduct of a peaceful election were also discussed.
The officials were asked to take swift action to assist internally-displaced persons and ensure their participation in the electoral process, they said.
“In his remarks, Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar said it is the ‘most important and crucial’ deliberation that takes place every five years of the election cycle,” the poll panel said in a statement.
The EC had convened the meeting to bring all the stakeholders concerned on one platform for a seamless coordination and cooperation among the officials of neighbouring states and UTs, it said.
“Key issues discussed during the meeting included enhanced coordination among neighbouring states and UTs, deployment of Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF), logistical support for CAPF movement, identification and monitoring of potential flashpoints, preemptive measures to address communal tensions, and securing porous borders against illegal activities,” a senior EC official said.
Attention was laid on curbing the movement of contraband items such as “narcotics, liquor, arms and explosives” across international borders.
Directions have also been issued to identify exit and entry points for the movement of illicit goods, he added.
Since officials from the Ministry of Defence were present in the meeting, the commission reviewed support from the Indian Air Force for sorties to ferry polling teams in challenging regions of 11 states, including Arunachal Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Maharashtra.