Top Recommended Stories

‘Selective Amnesia’: Election Commission Hits Back at Former CEC SY Quraishi For Article Criticising it

Writing for a daily on February 8-the Delhi went to polls-Quraishi had criticised the EC for its inaction over hate speeches. In its reply to Quraishi, the EC sought to 'remind' him that no case of MCC violation during his tenure resulted in an FIR.

Updated: February 15, 2020 9:15 AM IST

By India.com News Desk | Edited by Karan Manral

Former CEC Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi. Photo Courtesy: IANS
Former CEC Shahabuddin Yaqoob Quraishi. Photo Courtesy: IANS

New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) on Friday hit back at former Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) SY Quraishi, accusing him of ‘selective amnesia’ and reminding him that no case of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violation during his tenure resulted in an FIR.

The EC’s response came five days after Quraishi, in an article for a national daily, criticised the poll panel for not filing FIRs for hate speeches delivered during the recently-held Delhi Assembly Election. He had also described the MCC as being ‘toothless.’

You may like to read

In a letter to Quraishi, who headed the EC between July 2010-June 2012, Sandeep Saxena, senior deputy election commissioner, wrote, “The EC is planning to publish a compilation of actions taken against violators of the MCC in Assembly, as well as Parliament elections during last 20 years starting back from 11 February 2020, when the results of elections for the Assembly of the National Capital Territory (NCT) of Delhi were announced. A list of MCC notices issued and action taken by the EC during the period when you were holding the office of CEC is enclosed.”

“It can be seen from the enclosed list that no action was taken by the EC during your tenure as CEC, under the Representation of the People (RP) Act/153 Indian Penal Code (IPC),” the letter further stated.

The letter added that it was rather ironic as to how much ‘selective amnesia’ could mislead the people.

Writing in the daily on February 8-the day Delhi went to polls-Quraishi had cited the speeches delivered by BJP leaders Anurag Thakur and Parvesh Verma to highlight inaction by the EC against hate speeches.

Also Read:

For breaking news and live news updates, like us on Facebook or follow us on Twitter and Instagram. Read more on Latest India News on India.com.

By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts Cookies Policy.