Ranchi: BJP today rejected the Opposition’s allegation of horse-trading against the ruling dispensation ahead of the Rajya Sabha elections in June, saying every voter has to show his ballot paper to the polling agent before casting vote.
“Polling agent is there, and every MLA of a party has to show the ballot paper to the agent before casting vote,” BJP Chief Whip in the Assembly Radhakrishna Kishore said.
“A vote contrary to the party whip would cancel the vote,” Kishore said and added that anything otherwise would bring the agent to the dock.
On the Opposition’s demand for a probe into the contents of an audio CD released by JVM recently, in which Chief Minister Raghuvar Das allegedly trying to influence a Congress MLA, Kishore said “The JVM should say who prepared the CD, where it has been prepared and whose permission had been taken (to tape it). Right to Privacy is guaranteed under Article 21 of the Constitution.”
Expressing concern that people would not be able to talk on phones from now on, he said, JVM should have given the CD to Election Commission instead of giving it to the media.
Kishore also dismissed JMM’s allegations that a remark in the CD purportedly made by a senior police officer had insulted tribals under the SC/ST Prevention Act.
“Either they don’t know about the SC/St Act or they are making some political issue,” Kishore said.
The JMM yesterday disrupted the Assembly over the issue.
The BJP MLAs also slammed the Opposition for disrupting the House for the second day today over an ordinance brought recently by the Raghubar Das government.
“In the interest of construction of roads and other projects, ordinance can be brought. And the Opposition could raise the issue when it will come as a bill in the House,” Kishore said.
BJP MLAs Anant Ojha and Shiv Shankar Oraon, also present in the press conference, said even the members of the Tribal Advisory Council welcomed the ordinance.
(Sourced from agencies, Feature image courtesy:oneindia.com)
