NEW DELHI (PTI): Election commission Nov. 12 warned northern Indian Uttar Pradesh government of “drastic action” for any laxity in making foolproof arrangements for a free and fair state assembly poll Iater this month.
The commission secretary Balwant Singh on Friday wrote to the static chief secretary drawing attention to media reports about armed criminal gangs from Bihar descending on eastern Uttar Pradesh and dons in the fray in western Uttar Pradesh.
He said detailed instructions had already been issued for sealing of the borders of districts to stop movement of illegal arms and antisocial elements.
A recent report in a weekly made a very grim reading and caused concern about the effectiveness of the steps so far taken to ensure free and fair poll, he said.
The points brought out in the report should be investigated and action taken to ensure that criminal and antisocial elements did not terrorize the electors and in any way disrupt the conduct of a fair poll, the secretary said.
The weekly report said that a few days before the elections 500 men adept at booth capturing would cross the border ostensibly to visit the relatives in Uttar Pradesh.
One day before polling, a group of armed thugs would round up. The villagers and warn them that if they did not vote for a particular candidate they would face dire
Consequences, the report said.
Article extracted from this publication >> November 19, 1993
