Hyderabad 22 sep 2020
To
The State Election Commissioner
Telangana state
Hyderabad
Sub:
7 december 2018 election day - telangana assembly - What happened when
contesting candidate from karwan assembly asked the officials at Polling
Station-75, Karwan AC, to comply with rule and check veiled women's
photo electoral identity by a women officer as laid down in the election
rules?
With
reference to above news item, it is mandatory as per election rules,
that veiled women's photo identity should be checked by a female officer
so that the choice of women to cast their franchise with a veil as well
as the mandatory exercise of establishing the genuinity of any voter by
checking with photo electoral rolls as well as the photo identity card
and the facial identity is thoroughly undertaken.
As
such citizens who believe in free and fair electoral process should not
have objections to avail of the facility of women election officials
verifying veiled women's facial identity to comply with the laid down
rules.
But
contrarily, on 7th december 2018 on election day of telangana assembly,
the MIM MLA from karwan Janab kausar mohiddin, brazenly violated
election rules, and had stormed into the polling booth PS-75 along with
more than dozen unauthorized people and warned the officials against any
checking, questioned the co-contesting candidate what rules and who are
you. further, one of the unauthorized persons warned the candidate
against speaking for rules.
Upon
continuous petitions from the contested candidate to Chief Electoral
Officer, Telangana, from 7 december 2018 onwards, the DGP Telangana
office and Hyderabad Police Commissioner office had submitted two
inquiry reports to the CEO, Telangana.
Both
the reports that are attached herewith for reader's perusal, are
received from CEO Telangana dated 4 april 2019 and 30 march 2019
containing from DGP office and Hyderabad Commissioner office inquiries,
respectively.
As per Hyderabad Police Commissioner inquiry report,The illegality and grave violation of unauthorized entry is documented as:
'sri Kauser Mohiuddin, AIMIM party, a contested candidate and current
MLA of Karwan Constituency entered the PS No.75 at about 1030 hrs along
with the group of about L0 people.'
Whereas,
the threats to election officials, contested candidate upon asking for
implementation of verification of veiled women's photo identity, has
been documented as :
'Both
Dr. Lubna Sarwath and Sri kauser Mohiuddin had discussion among
themselves and with the presiding officer about the poll process for
about a minute and sri Kauser Mohiuddin and others left the place. One
person from the group while leaving had a brief discussion with Dr.
Lubna Sarwath on poll process,'
Further, the DGP Inquiry report documented as follows:
'The
petitioner aLleged that on 07-12-2018, while she was informing the
presiding officer on the discrepancies of non checking of the identitY
of the veited women, despite the APO is a woman officer, Sri Kauser
Mohiuddin, the then-MLA Candidate and now MLA, Karwan ConstituencY from
AIMIM PartY, had barged into Polling station-75 along with group of
people and threatened the presiding officer and then threatened
petitioner also. Similarly sri Kausar Mohiuddin, MLA warned the
presiding officer not to stop any women from voting and not to check
any women by removing their veil and checking their identity. He then
questioned the petitioner, who she was and threatened her not to quote
any rules and then he left.
One of the persons in his gang told the petitioner that it will not be good, if she keeps quoting rules'
One of the persons in his gang told the petitioner that it will not be good, if she keeps quoting rules'
Further, the inquiry is documented as follows:
'1)
Presiding officer:- sri renneti Bharani Kumar ASo, (panchayath Raj
Department, Tetangana State Secretariat) of p.S.No.75, stated that on
election day i.e., 07-12-2018 at about 10.30 AM, petitioner entered into
potting station and enquired about polling arrangements and atso
checking the process of Mustim community women voters. He explained the
petitioner that they will follow the guidelines issued by ECl. After
some time, other contested candidate of Karwan Assembly constituency by
name Mr- Kauser Mohiuddin, AIMIM party also entered inside the polling
station atong with a group of about 10 people, to enquire about polling
process. He also explained the polling process to Mr. Kauser Mohiuddin
and both the petitioner and Mr. Kauser Mohiuddin started discussion on
the guidelines to be followed during polling process. This discussion
took place for about a minute. However, during that time as a
measure of peacefu[ conduct of potting, he directed one of his polling personnel to call the police assigned for law and order duties at ps No.75.'
measure of peacefu[ conduct of potting, he directed one of his polling personnel to call the police assigned for law and order duties at ps No.75.'
Socialist
Party(India) appeals to all political parties and citizens to comply
with all election guidelines including the guidelines laid for facial
verification of veiled women voters with their photo electoral rolls and
photo identity cards. SP(I) encourages discussion and consensus to
comply with the rules in an amicable manner and exhorts desisting from
breaking the rule.
Its
every citizen's ethical duty to comply with every election rule,
towards preservering the democracy of our country, at the heart of which
lies the conduct of free and fair polls with an authentic and purified
electoral rolls.
with
upcoming GHMC elections, We trust State Election Commission ensures
that no candidate would face the situation faced by dr lubna sarwath for
trying to uphold fairness in voting, nor should polling be allowed in
any polling station without the mandatory verification of voter with the
photo electoral identification.
We
trust the SEC will lay down explicitly the strict action that awaits
candidates and citizens who do not comply with this rule and those who
stop from compliance of the rule.
best
dr lubna sarwath
state general secy,
Socialist party (India)
