EC cautions Madhya Pradesh minister

The Election Commission today cautioned Madhya Pradesh Industries Minister Kailash Vijayvargiya after expressing "severe displeasure" over his distributing money and making "contemptuous" remarks against the model code of conduct.
Assembly elections will be held in Madhya Pradesh on November 25.
The EC's caution comes in the wake of a notice slapped on him on October 16 after he was found distributing money and making certain remarks against the model code of conduct which were termed by the Commission as "contemptuous".
"Now, therefore, the Commission hereby conveys its severe displeasure for the conduct of Shri Kailash Vijayvargiya, Minister for Industries, Government of Madhya Pradesh, for showing defiance and utter disrespect for the provisions of the model code of conduct and its due observance and also for viotating the provisions of model code of conduct as mentioned above, and cautions him to be careful in future," the EC said.

The Commission, in its meeting today, decided to caution Vijayvargiya after it found that he had violated the model code of conduct by distributing money to drum-players and for making promises for contruction of a Udyog Bhawan in contravention of the model code provisions.
"Whereas, during the speech of Shri Vijayvargiya at the programme of Rajput Samaj on 14th October, 2013, a mischievous attempt has been made to juxtapose model code of conduct for free and fair election vis-a-vis religious customs and traditions and in the process ridicule model code of conduct," the Commission said.
In his reply, the MP Minister had pleaded not guilty and denied the charges against him but recorded his expression of regret and said he will be more careful in his use of words in future.

He maintained the offerings to drum players were customary and thus not violative of the model code of conduct.