Election Commission calls Manohar Parrikar’s bluff

Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar on Thursday was advised by the Election Commission of India to be more circumspect and careful in future while making public utterances after finding that a comment of his made before the polling in Goa violated electoral norms set by the EC and tended to condone votes for cash.

The communication brings the curtain down on a fortnight-long stand off between the minister and the Election Commission, which had served a notice to him on February 1 asking him to provide an explanation.

The Defence Minister was quoted as saying at an electoral rally the following : “ You vote by taking 2,000 (two thousand) rupees from someone. It is OK. Someone will hold a rally. There is no objection, if someone roams with ₹500 (five hundred) rupees. But you should keep in mind that vote shall come to lotus only.”

The Defence Minister through his lawyer, however, challenged the notice and said that the transcript was incorrect, wrong and deliberately twisted.

The Election Commission wrote back to him on February 7 and said that it had re-examined the matter and that the Collector, North Goa had confirmed that the CD was not tampered contrary to what Parrikar had claimed.

The EC informed the Union Minister that a three-member committee had once again translated and transcribed the comments made by him.

Parrikar this time wrote back to the EC suggesting that the Commission should listen to the CD in his presence along with the committee members and a person well versed in Konkani.

In its communication the Election Commission reiterated that it had examined his request and had requisitioned the services of an expert on Konkani to help transcribe the comments once again. It found that the translation was substantially the same as before.

The Commission brought the episode to a close on Thursday by reminding the minister that people holding constitutional posts are expected to behave more responsibly and advises him to be careful in future.