17

Apr

Searching  Rahul’s helicopter  : Need and Propriety

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Today’s Edition

New Delhi, 17 April 2024

Dr Satish Misra   

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Official searches of the helicopters of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi on Monday and Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee on Sunday raise many questions even though Election Commission sources assert that it was being done as per standard instructions aimed at preventing the transportation of freebies.   

 

Are these searches not “selective” and not in line with similar raids and probes by the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, Income Tax Department and other investigating agencies?    

Article at a Glance

The Election Commission (EC) has conducted searches on the helicopters of Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and Trinamool Congress leader Abhishek Banerjee, raising questions about their selective nature and alignment with similar raids and probes by other investigating agencies. The EC officials, who have chosen to remain anonymous, have not officially defended the action, leading to speculation about the motives behind these searches, which only seem to target opposition leaders, particularly from the Congress and TMC, who are the main political rivals of the ruling BJP.

 

The EC has stated that the searches are aimed at preventing the transportation of freebies, but the opposition parties have criticized the EC for its apparent bias and selective enforcement of the rules. The EC has seized drugs worth Rs 2069 crore, cash over Rs 395 crore, and liquor over Rs 489 crore, among other items, since March 1, exceeding the seizures made during the 2019 parliamentary polls. However, the opposition parties have questioned the EC's motives, accusing it of joining the ranks of ED, CBI, IT, and other government agencies that have been active against opposition parties and their leaders.

 

In summary, the EC's searches of opposition leaders' helicopters have raised questions about the commission's neutrality and impartiality, with opposition parties accusing it of bias and selective enforcement of the rules. The EC's seizures of drugs, cash, and liquor are a critical part of its resolve to hold the Lok Sabha elections free of inducements and electoral malpractices, but its actions must be seen as impartial and unbiased to ensure a level playing field for all political parties.

 

While EC officials have chosen to remain anonymous and refused to defend action officially, it raises pertinent questions on the choice of leaders as searches are restricted to opposition leaders, particularly of the Congress and TMC which are the main political rivals of the ruling BJP.

 

The EC officials are particularly active in defending the action as they also pointed out that there was “nothing new” in search of helicopters, as was done in the case of TMC leader Abhishek Banerjee and Rahul Gandhi.

 

Officials conducted checks in a helicopter carrying Congress leader Rahul Gandhi. The flying squad officials searched after the helicopter landed in Nilgiri, Tamil Nadu, police said.

 

Gandhi was on his way to his parliamentary constituency, Kerala's Wayanad, where he had a slew of campaign activities, including public meetings.

 

He is fighting the April 26 Lok Sabha polls from Wayanad, seeking a successive term.

 

In the poll run-up, all district magistrates and superintendents of police were told to keep a strict watch on airfields and helipads. Such searches are taking place in airfields, both public and private, across the country to ensure inducements are not ferried by air, the EC said.

 

The Commission, it said, has also taken strict action against nearly 106 government servants who were found assisting politicians in campaigning, which is against various rules and ethics.

 

The Election Commission on Monday said authorities under its supervision have made seizures worth Rs 4,650 crore, including drugs worth Rs 2069 crore, in the run-up to the Lok Sabha elections.

 

The poll panel said the seizures made since March 1 exceed the over Rs 3,475 crore recovered during the 2019 parliamentary polls.

 

The seven-phased Lok Sabha polls were announced on March 16. The first phase is on April 19 and the last on June 1.

 

The Commission said authorities have been making seizures worth Rs 100 crore daily since March 1.

 

Out of the total recoveries worth Rs 4,658 crore, the cash component stands at over Rs 395 crore, while liquor stands at more than Rs 489 crore.

 

Significantly, 45 per cent of the seizures are of drugs (Rs 2,069 crore).

 

Use of black money, over and above political financing, could disturb the level playing field in favour of a more resourceful party or candidate, it noted, adding that the seizures are a critical part of its resolve to hold the Lok Sabha elections free of inducements and electoral malpractices and to ensure a level playing field.

 

Drug seizures accounted for approximately 75 per cent of the total seizures in January and February this year with the poll panel focussing on the menace much before the poll schedule was announced.

 

Over the past few years, significant seizures have been made during elections to state assemblies in Gujarat, Punjab, Manipur, Nagaland, Tripura, and Mizoram.

 

CEC Rajiv Kumar, while announcing the polls last month, had underlined money power as one of the '4M' challenges, the poll authority recalled.

 

Election experts, who have been monitoring Indian elections for over five decades, said that these searches give an impression that they are being conducted “selectively” and are targets are the ruling party opponents. EC seems to have joined the ranks of ED, CBI, IT and other government agencies that have been active against opposition parties and their leaders, they said.  

 

On the one hand, the EC has been making claims of giving a level playing field to all political parties irrespective of the fact whether one is in power or opposition, on the other hand, no ruling party leader has either been reprimanded or their helicopters being searched.

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