EC censures Prajapati on saree issue

The Election Commission today "censured" ruling Samajwadi Party MLA Gayatri Prasad Prajapati for violating the model code by planning to distribute over 4,000 sarees in Amethi during assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh.
Acting on a report submitted by the DM and SP of Fatehpur district, the Commission had issued Mulayam Singh Yadav loyalist and minister Prajapati a show cause notice asking why action should not be initiated against him for allegedly planning to influence voters through "corrupt" means including "bribery".
Not satisfactory with his reply, the Commission has now "censured" him and has asked him to be "more careful" in his conduct during polls "failing which more stringent actions shall be taken against you".

The report had said that a truck carrying 4,452 sarees was seized during a routine checking on January 11. The documents seized showed Prajapati as the receiver of the consignment.
The driver of the vehicle had confessed that the sarees were meant to be distributed during elections in Amethi and were to be delivered to him.