Author: Express News Service
Publication: The Indian Express
Date: December 25, 2003
URL: http://www.indianexpress.com/archive_full_story.php?content_id=37939
His problems mounting by the day,
former Chhattisgarh chief minister Ajit Jogi was today rapped by the Election
Commission for his ''undesirable conduct'' and ''patent untruths'' in the
recent election.
Severely criticising the suspended
Congress leader for ignoring its orders, the EC noted he seemed to consider
the resources and property of Chhattisgarh ''part of his own fiefdom which
he could use according to his own whims and fancies''.
While the EC also criticised Punjab
CM Amarinder Singh for violating the model code of conduct by using state-owned
aircarft for campaigning, its harshest words were reserved for Jogi.
In a stern and lengthy order issued
today evening, the Commission also asked the Congress to reimburse the
state government the total cost of seven flights undertaken by Jogi and
two by party president Sonia Gandhi from its own funds, or recover it from
Jogi and Amarinder.
Sources in the EC said a lenient
view was taken of the Congress president's case given her status and the
historical stature of the party she heads. The Commission was also reluctant
to take the extreme step of suspending or withdrawing the recognition of
the Congress as a national party.
''They (Congress functionaries)
also repeatedly assured the party that they would be careful and strictly
adhere to the code in future,'' EC officials said.
In the case involving Amarinder,
who used Punjab government aircraft for electioneering in Madhya Pradesh,
the EC gave similar orders of recovery of expenses incurred by him.
The EC had issued two showcause
notices on November 18 and 26 to the Congress president and Jogi, and later
to Amarinder.
In the case of Sonia, the Congress's
argument that the state-owned aircarft was used at the insistence of the
SPG, which is in charge of her security, was found acceptable and convincing
by the full Commission.
However, the EC underlined that
neither the Congress nor Jogi could give an adequate explanation on how
Chhattisgarh state resources were used by Sonia to travel to a function
not connected with the state government in any way.
The Commission also pointed out
that for a 20-minute flight from Chennai to Sriperumbudur, Sonia had travelled
5 hours and 35 minutes to get to Chennai from Raipur. Similarly, the return
journey had also ''strangely'' taken 6 hours and 55 minutes.
