EC censures Adiyanath, Mayawati; bars them from campaigning for 72 and 48 hrs respectively

The Election Commission Monday "censured" Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BSP supremo Mayawati for their communal remarks and barred them from campaigning for 72 and 48 hours respectively.

The poll panel has issued two separate orders against Adityanath and Mayawati and said these will come into force from 6 am on Tuesday.

The orders of the commission came soon after the Supreme Court took note of the communal remarks made by the Bahujan Samaj Party (BSP) supremo and the chief minister during their Lok Sabha poll campaigns.

The court has asked the poll watchdog about the action it has initiated against them.

A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi has summoned a representative of the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday while agreeing to examine the poll panel's contention that it has limited legal powers to deal with hate speeches of politicians during electioneering.

In its order related to Adityanath, the commission said, it "strongly condemns" the impugned statement made by him and "censured" him for "misconduct".

Using its constitutional powers under Article 324 of the Constitution, the EC barred him from "holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media (print, electronic and social media) in connection with the ongoing elections for 72 hours (three days) from 6.00 am on April 16."
On being asked about the different time periods for the two leaders, a senior EC functionary explained: "It is for the second time that the Uttar Pradesh CM has been issued a show cause notice by the EC. On April 5, he was asked to be 'careful' in the future."