The Assam Congress has filed an FIR against BJP leaders including BJP’s national president JP Nadda, state president Ranjeet Kumar Dass, Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and some newspapers & news publications.
The FIR has been lodged alleging violation of the provisions of the Section 126A of the Representation of People Act, 1951 by publishing an advertisement of the BJP on the party’s “performance in the first phase of election”.
The advertisement was published on Sunday (March 28, 2021) a day after the first phase of polling ahead of the second and third phases of Assam Assembly election 2021, scheduled to be held on April 1 and April 6, 2021.
The chairman of the legal department of Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC), Niran Borah, filed the FIR at Dispur police station on Sunday.
The FIR has been lodged alleging violation of the provisions of the Section 126A of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
The advertisement, published in an English daily and five Assamese dailies, reflected the BJP’s symbol with the endorsement ‘HUGE ENTHUSIASM AMONG SUPPORTERS AND KARYAKARTAS OF BJP’ & ‘BJP TO WIN ALL CONSTITUENCIES OF UPPER ASSAM’.
The FIR has named some news publications and newspapers for “abetting the crime” committed by the BJP leaders under Section 126A of the Representation of People Act, 1951 in violation of the Election Commission of India’s directions contained in instruction on March 26, 2021.
The FIR said the publication of the advertisement is a “blatant violation of Model Code of Conduct, Representation of People Act, 1951, relevant instructions and Media Policies issued by the Election Commission of India, by the leaders and the members of the Bharatiya Janata Party, Assam including Sarbananda Sonowal, the Chief Minister of Assam, J. P. Nadda, BJP President and Ranjit Kumar Dass, BJP Assam President.”
“The present matter pertains to the ongoing General Elections in the state of Assam wherein the BJP after realizing that their defeat is inevitable, has resorted to desperate illegal and unconstitutional methods to influence the voters across the state,” the FIR said.
The Congress has already submitted memorandum to the Election Commission of India and the chief electoral officer (CEO) of Assam, Nitin Khade.