Two BJP MLAs from Dahod Lok Sabha constituency in Gujarat’s Mahisagar district were arrested on Wednesday, accused of fake voting, an act that was broadcast live on social media and the video went viral.
The Congress has demanded strict action against the accused who went to 25 polling booths and engaged in fake voting in Chandrampur Gotib Taluk Panchayat as well.
The act was live-streamed from the Facebook account of one of the accused, Vijay Babor (28). In the video, Pabhor is seen entering the polling booth of Pratampur polling booth and fumbling with the electronic voting machine. Electoral Officers.
Babor said, “Give us 10 minutes, we are sitting here… It (poll) is going on since morning. It doesn’t work like that… Only BJP can run. Machine abnu babnu se (machine belongs to our father)…”
Babor is seen encouraging others to press BJP MP Jaswantsingh Babor’s iconic “lotus” button. He is also seen dancing with an electronic voting machine as he assures his partner that he is “under control” in the area.
Mahisagar Superintendent of Police Jaideepsingh Jadeja told The Indian Express that the two have been arrested under sections of the Representation of the People Act and the Indian Penal Code.
“We have arrested Vijay Babor, 28, and Manoj Magan, 38, for casting fake votes at a polling station in Pratampur. Both are BJP members and Babor’s father Ramesh Babor is a former president of Chandrampur Taluk Panchayat. The accused have been booked under IPC sections 171 (carrying a garment or token used by a public servant with malicious intent) and 188 (disobeying a duly notified order by a public servant).
The video sparked a controversy and polling agents of the Congress lodged two separate complaints with the Chandrampur police regarding similar incidents of fake voting in 25 polling stations under Kotip taluka panchayat.
Congress agents from Purohit School polling station and Lilazar Moti Bugedi polling station in Gothip village have also lodged police complaints about intimidation and fake voting.
A Congress polling agent from Kothi village also complained that he was assaulted by the two accused and threatened with dire consequences.
An FIR lodged by Additional Election Registration Officer Chandrampur Mamladhar Ishaq Mohammad Pathan, 47, at Chandrampur police station, says the incident came to light after the accused went live on social media while engaging in fake voting.
In his complaint, Pathan said, “Knowing that mobile phones are prohibited inside polling stations, the accused violated the ban by carrying a mobile phone with him. Another accused can be seen helping him and we have learned from reports that the person seen in the video is Vijay Babor… When the matter was brought to the notice of the District Collector, Mahisagar, we were directed verbally to lodge a complaint. At the police station.”
Congress spokesperson Manish Doshi has slammed the BJP over the incident.
“Among the many incidents of intimidation and deterrence of voters in the state of Gujarat, the most egregious cases emerged in Dahod where the BJP leader’s son kept voters waiting in queues and cast fake votes at night. ‘Management can’t touch me’ even went live on Facebook…” Doshi said.
“This clearly shows that he was acting on orders received from higher authorities and the police were silent spectators of the incident… Not even a single BJP leader said anything about the incident,” he alleged.
Doshi said the live telecast of fake polling in Chandrampur was “just one example” of the many irregularities that took place during Tuesday’s polling.
“Why is the Election Commission still silent? They said the voting will be live, but is this what they mean? The Election Commission officials not only wore the BJP logo but sat on the chair and worked for the BJP and the police. All these officials have to go to the BJP office and join the party formally… The accused in the video even reveals his mobile number to the audience in case he wants to get similar fake votes in other polling booths.…” He added that.
When contacted, Chief Electoral Officer B Bharti told The Indian Express, “Two people have been arrested in this incident and police action has been taken. We have sought a report from the Dahod Election Officer. Once the report is received, the next course of action regarding polling in the affected polling stations can be decided“said.
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