Chandigarh, February 12
Just two days before the civic body polls in Punjab, the Punjab and Haryana High Court was today told that the Election Commission has issued notification permitting videography of the polling booths.
The Division Bench of Justices Rajan Gupta and Karamjit Singh made it clear that videography would be confined to outside the polling booths and efforts would not be made by any person to conduct photography/videography beyond the barricade erected for entry of the voters to the booth.
The Bench was hearing a petition filed by Harjinder Kaur and other petitioners for directions to the State of Punjab and other respondents to ensure fair and impartial election for the Mohali Municipal Corporation. Directions were also sought for deployment of adequate forces at the polling booths to maintain law and order.
Appearing before the Bench, their counsel expressed grave apprehension of untoward incidents during the election process. Responding to the averments, the State counsel submitted that notification dated January 29 on videography had already been issued by the election commission. The Bench was also told that the State counsel had no objection if the petitioners made arrangements for videography, as the enabling provision for videography was there.
“In view of notification dated January 29, there appears to be no hesitation on the part of the State if the videography is conducted by the petitioners and we also order accordingly. However, it is made clear that the videography shall be confined to outside the polling booths….,” the Bench asserted, after taking note of the statement by the petitioner’s counsel that they would make arrangement for a videographer.
An affidavit was also placed before the Bench stating that adequate security arrangements had been made to ensure smooth and fair election and to avoid law and order problem in Mohali. The deployment of security forces, patrolling parties and assignment of polling booth to more than 1,000 police officials was also outlined.
The affidavit added gazetted officers and all SHOs had been directed to regularly patrol the area within their jurisdiction. The Bench also directed the furnishing of a status report regarding the conduct of the election.
SAD chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on Friday accused the State Election Commission of playing into the hands of the Congress and said they had lost faith in it. “No action has been taken on our complaints to the SEC. It has remained a mute spectator to violence.”
