Human rights activist Shabnam Hashmi, in a sensational letter to the CEC, has stated that the Gujarat state machinery is being misused and top officials are campaigning on behalf of a candidate (Union Home Minister Amit Shah)
A complaint addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) has alleged that observers deployed by the Election Commission of India (ECI) and the Gujarat Police — which has been reporting to the commission for the past month — have failed to ensure a level playing field.
Human rights activist Shabnam Hashmi, in a sensational letter to the CEC, has stated that the state machinery is being misused and top officials are campaigning on behalf of a candidate (Union Home Minister Amit Shah). She asks, “Are they above the law and (do they) have instructions to violate their Constitutional duty blatantly and with impunity?”
Hashmi has urged the Chief Election Commissioner to take immediate steps to stop harassment of voters, community and political leaders by the local state machinery and order an inquiry into the affair.
The first person account, reported from state capital Gandhinagar, suggests that intimidation by the police and blatant use of state machinery to ensure Shah wins by the “highest margin in electoral history” seems to have been ignored by the ECI.
The letter draws the attention of the CEC to the following serious breaches:
1. Police are calling up people in Gandhinagar and advising them against attending road shows by Congress candidate Sonal Patel or campaigning for her.
2. The calls have gone out from officers in-charge of police stations, the local crime branch, an ACP, and in one case even an IG (inspector-general).
3. Threats are being made by the police, their nature depending upon the called individual’s stature. Some have been threatened with new cases or reopening of old cases, or turning them into bigger offences.
4. Those with some standing in the community have been coerced into filing nominations as independent candidates or from several opposition parties to cut into Muslim and Dalit votes.
5. While some were told not to campaign for Congress, others were told to remain at home and eat chicken and fish (zaroorat hogi to bhijwa doonga – if you need I will send it).
6. Money is being offered openly. Some senior leaders were told – nishkriya ho jao, kyon panga le rahe ho, tumhari umeedwar to jeetegi nahi…Amit bhai desh ke bade neta hain, unka sapna hai poore desh men sabse zyada margin se jeetne ka, unki ichcha ko poora karna hai. Rough translation: stop trying, your candidate won’t win anyway…Amit bhai is a big leader, it’s his dream to win by the highest margin in the country, we must fulfil his desire.
7. In one Assembly segment, all senior community leaders were called and told they would have to work for Amit bhai. “Tumhare yahan se vote nahi nikalta hai. Is baar peti mein se vote nahi nikla to yahan ka koi kaam nahi hoga, samajh lo (no votes come from your area; if that happens this time, no work will be done for you).
8. Chairpersons and secretaries of various cooperative bodies, including cooperative banks, milk cooperatives, APMC, purchase unions, GSC bank etc. were summoned and have been instructed to campaign for Amit Shah.
9. Students in a college in Ghatlodiya were told that everyone had to join Amit Shah’s roadshow on Thursday. When some students objected, they were told they would be failed in the internal exam if they did not comply.
10. Congress workers are being warned not to put up banners. Congress banners have been removed from several places.
The letter further states that hundreds of hoardings with images of the Ram Mandir in Ayodhya can be seen bearing texts like ‘Shri Ram mandir — kamal ka button dabao, Bhajpa ko jitao (press the lotus button, help the BJP win)’, ‘500 varsh baad bhavya mandir (revered temple after 500 years)’ and so on. It says that no action has been taken by the ECI to stop the BJP from seeking votes using religion and religious symbols.
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