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Election Commission asks parties to maintain dignity

The Election Commission today asked all political parties and candidates to refrain from making ''unverified allegations'' and comments on the private lives of other candidates during election campaign as required under the Model Code of Conduct.

The commission, in a release, said it had received a number of complaints from recognised parties on 'undesirable comments' on individual leaders and remarks on women made by some leaders of political parties during their election campaign. Without identifying the parties and the leaders, the commission said under para (2) of the Model Code of Conduct, criticism during campaign should be confined to policies and programmes of the parties and candidates. There should be no mention about the private lives of any candidate, the release said.

The commission, which received a complaint from the Congress yesterday on the alleged remark made by Defence Minister George Fernandes on its president Sonia Gandhi, said, ''We should not demean our ancient world admired culture'' by making any undesirable remark on political opponents, including women, during election campaign. All political parties and candidates should maintain the highest tradition of India's cultural heritage, the commission said.

UNI

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