May 7, 2004
Press
Release
Prakash
Karat,
member,
Polit
Bureau
of
Communist
Party
of
India
(Marxist)
and
A.B.
Bardhan,
General
Secretary,
Communist
Party
of
India
and
Dipankar
Mukherjee,
CPI(M)
MP
(Rajya
Sabha)
met
the
Election
Commission
today.
Following
is
the
text
of
the
memorandum
submitted
to
the
Commission.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Dear
Shri
Krishnamurthi,
While
we
appreciate
the
steps
being
taken
by
the
Election
Commission
for
holding
of
free
and
fair
polls
in
West
Bengal,
we
wish
to
point
out
that
there
are
some
discordant
steps
being
taken
by
certain
Central
observers
deputed
to
the
state.
The
CPI(M)
and
the
Left
Front
representatives
in
West
Bengal
have
already
submitted
before
the
Commission
on
30th
April,
2004
at
Kolkata
complaints
about
the
role
of
certain
observers
in
two
of
the
constituencies.
Subsequently,
more
complaints
have
come
in
about
the
role
of
some
other
Central
observers.
We
are
enclosing
a
set
of
complaints
received
from
the
Left
Front
candidates,
election
agents
and
voters
regarding
such
activities.
For
instance,
one
complaint
pertains
to
Shri
I.Y.R.
Krishna
Rao,
observer
in
17-Diamond
Harbour
constituency,
who
has
been
asking
questions
why
Muslims
vote
for
the
CPI(M).
He
also
directed
the
arrest
of
certain
persons.
In
the
Asansol
Lok
Sabha
seat,
the
observer
Ms.
Ratnamala
Rawal,
according
to
the
written
complaints
of
voters
in
certain
polling
stations,
has
been
going
around
asking
voters
why
they
vote
for
the
CPI(M)
and
the
Left
Front
years
together?
Whether
this
is
because
the
CPI(M)
pays
money
or
under
duress?
In
Vishnupur
SC
constituency,
the
observer
Shri
K.C.
Varma
has
been
asking
similar
questions
about
why
they
vote
for
the
CPI(M),
or,
whether
they
are
terrorised
etc.
In
Srirampur
Lok
Sabha
constituency,
the
observer
Shri
Rakesh
Garg
visited
the
Jangipara
police
station
and
asked
for
local
crime
records
and
pressurised
the
officer
on
duty
to
issue
an
arrest
warrant
for
a
case
recorded.
In
Basirhat
Lok
Sabha
constituency,
the
observer
Shri
A.K.
Tandon
threatened
the
staging
of
a
flag-march
in
certain
villages
in
Bhangar
after
casting
aspersions
on
the
high
level
of
polling
witnessed
in
the
area
in
the
earlier
elections.
We
are
aware
that
the
Election
Commission
deputes
Central
observers
in
all
Lok
Sabha
constituencies
for
the
purpose
of
observing
whether
election
procedures
are
being
followed
and
free
and
fair
polls
are
being
conducted.
But,
surely,
observers
cannot
pressurise
voters
about
their
voting
preferences
or
cast
aspersions
on
their
voting
intentions.
As
observers,
they
are
expected
to
inform
the
district
administration
about
the
breach,
or,
violation
of
norms
and
procedures.
They
can
recommend,
or,
request
steps
to
be
taken
by
the
administration,
but
cannot
direct
police
officers,
or,
other
officials
to
arrest
or
take
action.
They
can
report
to
the
Commission
any
lapses.
The
instances
cited
are
of
observers
exceeding
their
brief
or
acting
in
a
partisan
fashion.
The
complaints
listed
pertain
to
actions
of
only
certain
Central
observers
and
we
are
sure
this
is
not
a
pattern
which
is
followed
by
all
observers.
We
urge
the
Election
Commission
to
take
immediate
remedial
action
to
stop
any
unwarranted
acts
by
the
observers
concerned.
Sd/-
A.B. Bardhan, General Secretary, Communist Party of India
Prakash
Karat,
Member,
Polit
Bureau,
Communist
Party
of
India
(Marxist)