Shimla: Congress on Saturday cried foul that nominations of congress candidates who have encroachment of government land case pending against them where being rejected whereas a different yardstick was being adopted for BJP candidates with similar offences in the ensuing panchayat and local body poll.
Talking to the media, congress spokesman Kuldeep Rathore said, the government was adopting dual standards when dealing with candidates contesting the elections.
As it was a policy decision, action should have been taken against the candidates irrespective of party affiliation,†he said.
Welcoming the state election commission having taken notice a complaint lodged by congress about violation of the model code of conduct, he said, “while the chief secretary has been asked to file a reply but no time frame has been fixed. The matter should not be allowed to linger endlessly.â€
The spokesman alleged that blatant use of government vehicles bearing beacon lights ferrying ministers in the election campaign and announcements being made in violation of election code was being done and would influence the poll outcome.
Taking the BJP government to task, he said the government had failed to protect the interest of fruit growers by selling the plant and machinery of Gumma Carton factory at Pragatinager to a scarp dealer for Rs 1.08 crore.
Rathore claimed that the very same plant machinery was being re-assembled at Nagpur to operate a carton manufacturing unit there.
The congress was opposed to the sale of the plant machinery, he said. The government could have leased out the carton manufacturing units operations or even relocated it to an industrial belt for better utilization of the plant, said Rathore.
As Editor, Ravinder Makhaik leads a team of media professionals at Hill Post.
Spanning a career of over two decades in mass communication, as a Documentary Filmmaker, TV journalist, Print Media journalist and with Online & Social Media, he brings with him a vast experience. He lives in Shimla.
