By PTI
LUCKNOW: Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra on Saturday accused the Prayagraj administration of stopping the release of her party’s manifesto for youths while taking no action against BJPO leaders allegedly indulging in making hate speeches.
She also accused the Election Commission of crushing democracy allegedly in collusion with local administration.
“The BJP leaders campaigned with the crowd and talked hateful things. The administration, however, did not take any action. But the Congress party was stopped from releasing its youth manifesto in Prayagraj today,” Priyanka Gandhi Vadra said in a tweet in Hindi.
“Under the pressure of the government, the Election Commission and administration are engaged in crushing democracy and the agenda of the youth. (Is it) fair?” she asked in her tweet.
Meanwhile, Congress candidate from Noida, Pankhuri Pathak on Saturday alleged violation of model code of conduct by sitting BJP MLA Pankaj Singh ahead of the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.
Pathak sought action against Singh by the Election Commission (EC) and the district election officials over the alleged violations, even as a local BJP spokesperson trashed the charges.
“The BJP is continuously violating the EC guidelines in our area. Since yesterday, messages are being circulated on WhatsApp groups in housing societies that free (anti-COVID-19) vaccination camps are being organised in the societies by them. This is a clear violation of model code of conduct,” Pathak claimed.
She urged the poll panel to take note of the charges if it wanted “people to repose their faith in EC’s impartiality” and take strict action.
She also shared purported screenshots of the WhatsApp messages on social media to substantiate her claims.
BJP’s Noida spokesperson Tanmay Shankar trashed the claims of poll-related violations and said the Congress leader was doing it “out of frustration” as her party faced an “imminent defeat”.
“The WhatsApp messages she has shared on social media are not sent by any BJP office-bearers or authorised by the party. What can we do if someone just sends such messages on WhatsApp groups?’ Shankar told PTI.
Pathak had earlier claimed bias by local election authorities and the police for inaction against alleged model code of conduct violations by BJP leaders.
Noting that senior Congress leader and Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel was booked for alleged violation of COVID-19 norms during poll campaigning in Noida recently, while the BJP leaders went scot-free despite gathering large crowds at their events.
Noida in Gautam Buddh Nagar district of Uttar Pradesh goes to polls on February 10.
BJP’s Pankaj Singh had won the seat in 2017 elections, while Pathak is making her debut in the assembly polls this year.
