The Election Commission of India (ECI) has moved the Madras High Court against the earlier comments made by the court in which it said that the ECI should face murder charges and be held responsible for the second wave of Covid-19.
ECI in its plea before the Madras High Court has said that media must not report oral observations and comments made by the judges during the hearing and should only report observations recorded in the order.
The Election Commission has also said, “The media reports have tarnished the image of the ECI as an independent constitutional agency that is entrusted with the constitutional responsibility of conducting elections.
The commission has further told the Madras High Court that political leaders have failed to discharge their duty.
The matter will be heard on Friday.
The Madras High Court on Monday pulled up the Election Commission over the Covid-19 second wave in the country, holding it ‘singularly’ responsible for the spread. The court called EC the “the most irresponsible institution” and even said its officials may be booked under murder charges.
The EC allowing political parties to take out rallies and meetings had led to the spread of the pandemic,the court said.
The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjib Banerjee and Justice Senthilkumar Ramamoorthy made the stinging observation on a public interest writ from Karur AIADMK candidate and Transport Minister MR Vijayabaskar.
The petition sought directions to authorities to ensure fair counting of votes on May 2 in Karur by taking effective steps and proper arrangements with Covid-19 protocols.
Source: https://www.indiatoday.in/coronavirus-outbreak/story/ec-moves-madras-hc-over-blame-for-covid19-second-wave-1796536-2021-04-30
