Restrain media from reporting oral comments: EC moves Madras HC over ‘murder charges’ remarks
Days after the Madras High Court castigated the Election Commission over the second wave of coronavirus in India, the poll panel urged the Court to restrict the media from reporting on oral observations.
FollowThe Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday moved a plea in Madras High Court seeking to refrain media from reporting oral comments of judges, days after the court remarked that officials might be booked murder charges for failing to ensure compliance of Covid-19 protocol during election rallies.
In its petition, the EC asserted it was disappointed with the media reports of the Madras High Court’s oral observations that it is ‘the most irresponsible institution and singularly’ responsible for the spread’. “These reports have tarnished the image of the Election Commission of India as an independent constitutional agency that is entrusted with the constitutional responsibility of conducting elections,” the poll panel’s petition read.
The affidavit filed by Chief Electoral Officer at Tamil Nadu, Satyabrata Sahoo, has highlighted that the said oral observation was not finally recorded in the order passed that day in the case, which was concerned with the adherence to Covid-19 protocol during counting of votes in the Karur constituency.
While so, the ECI is aggrieved that media publications of the Court's oral comments that the ECI is “the institution that is singularly responsible for the situation prevalent today” and that the ECI “should be put up for murder charges” has caused grave prejudice to the Commission. It also highlighted that a police complaint has been filed against a Deputy Election Commissioner alleging murder after media reports were published over the Court's oral comments.
The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy made the stinging observation on a public interest writ from Karur AIADMK candidate and Transport Minister MR Vijayabaskar.
The petition sought directions to authorities to ensure fair counting of votes on May 2 in Karur by taking effective steps and proper arrangements with Covid-19 protocols.
“We assure you that we will stop counting if we do not find before May 2 a blueprint on how proper maintenance of Covid protocol is assured so that this state does not succumb to the idiosyncrasies any further,” the bench had said.
The Chief Justice also observed that public health is of paramount importance and that it was distressing to remind constitutional authorities on the counting and possibilities of a further surge after May 2.
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