TIL Desk/National/New Delhi/ Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora issues statement on Election Commissioner Ashok Lavasa recusing himself from EC meetings to discuss poll code violations: The three members of EC are not expected to be template or clones of each other, there have been so many times in the past when there has been a vast diversion of views as it can, and should be.
But the same largely remained within confines of ECI after demission of office unless appearing much later in a book written by the concerned ECs/CECs. I personally never shied away from a public debate whenever required but there is time for everything. An unsavoury and avoidable controversy reported in sections of media today about internal functioning of ECI in respect of handling of Model Code of Conduct, Arora said in the statement.
A media report claimed that Lavasa, who disagreed with the poll panel’s decisions to clear Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party president Amit Shah of charges of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), has since May 4 recused himself from all meetings to discuss MCC issues.
Lavasa has reportedly insisted that he will do so only after dissent notes and minority decisions are included in the orders of the commission. The Congress also hit out at the Modi government on the issue, saying erosion of institutional integrity is the hallmark of the present dispensation.
The Election Commission or Election Omission! Another Dark Day for Democracy! Congress’ chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted, tagging the media report. Sh Ashok Lavasa, Member CEC, who dissented on multiple occasions when EC was busy giving clean chits to Modi-Shah duo, opts out of EC as the ECI even refuse to record dissent notes, he said.
