Angry Sharad Pawar accuses Election Commission of harassment. Here's why

Mumbai: Union Minister Sharad Pawar, who hadbeen earlier reprimanded by the Election Commission over hisink remark, has attacked the poll panel for “going overboard"and criticised it over the practice of checking vehiclesduring the election process.

“The Election Commission is going overboard. It is seizinghuge amount that is carried in the vehicles. After checking,the seized cash is returned. What sort of method is this?” hesaid in Akluj in Solapur district on Saturday.

[caption id=“attachment_74336” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Agriculture minister Sharad Pawar. PTI[/caption]

“Who has given the EC the right to check vehicle on roads?The amount can belong to the financial sector and could be ageniune case. There is no doubt that the elections should beheld in free and fair manner. However, this kind of check is causing harassment,” he said.

More from Elections

It is boots on the ground, and not bots, that win poll battles Tamil Nadu politicos get a 'Sanion' makeover on Facebook

The EC has ordered checking of vehicles to curb use ofmoney power during elections.

The NCP chief also said that once the elections are overand the dust settles, all these things need to be addressed.“All the legal aspects are required to be taken intoconsideration in this connection,” he said.

Pawar had kicked up a controversy when he had, whileaddressing the partymen in Navi Mumbai on March 23, asked themto take advantage of the multi-phase polling in the state byvoting twice, first in their hometowns and then at theirplaces of work by erasing the ink mark.

However, the Election Commission had expressed itsdispleasure over Pawar’s remark and sent him a notice.Responding to the EC’s show cause notice, Pawar had saidhis remark was made in zest and in spirit of humour. Theremark was made in “a lighter vein and had a tinge of satireto it,” he had said.

The poll panel had asked him to be careful in future andensure that he did not violate the Model Code of Conduct.The EC had said it was “not satisfied” with hisexplanation, but said that it decided not to pursue the matterfurther. It had said Pawar’s call to voters to vote at morethan one place was in violation of law.

PTI