The controversy over Sant Rampal and his army of followers taking the law into their hands has once again thrown the spotlight on the clout that India's godmen possess.
I had said that eloquence of silence is always difficult but far more desirable to see the election process through instead of creating ill-timed controversies.
A three-member delegation of the party -- Union ministers Venkaiah Naidu, Nirmala Sitharaman and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi -- met EC officials and submitted their memorandum.
The poll panel said it did not receive specific complaints or concrete material from political parties and candidates about alleged tampering of EVMs during recently held election process.
AAP demanded that BJP leaders Parvesh Verma and Manoj Tiwari be barred from campaigning for their remarks against the Delhi CM. The EC later issued a notice to Verma for calling Kejriwal a 'terrorist'.
He, however, did not give any date for the proposed challenge which he announced in his opening remarks at the meeting.
His call logs, WhatsApp messages and SMSes are also being examined, police said.
The Congress on Monday hit out at Narendra Modi and his close aide Amit Shah for carrying out a "communal campaign" and demanded action by the Election Commission against Shah for his controversial remark that Azamgarh in UP was a "base of terrorists".
A video of Bharatiya Janata Party state president Dilip Ghosh apparently suggesting West Bengal chief minister should wear bermuda shorts to display her injured leg has triggered controversy with the ruling Trinamool Congress slamming it as a 'distasteful comment' and women expressing outrage over the remark in social media.
Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi on Friday replied to the Election Commission notice over alleged model code violation with controversial remarks that Pakistan's Inter-Services Intelligence was in touch with Muzaffarnagar riot victims, denying the charge.
Shahabuddin was recently shifted to Beur Jail in Patna from Siwan following the Election Commission's directive.
A fresh case has been lodged against controversial Uttar Pradesh minister Azam Khan for his alleged 'hate-speech' in Shamli district. A case was registered against Khan in Thana Bhawan police station on Saturday for his remarks at an election rally in Jalalabad area of the district on April 8, District Magistrate NP Singh told mediapersons.
The FIRs were filed under different sections of the Indian Penal Code and Representation of People's Act
The Supreme Court on Friday refused to grant urgent hearing to a petition seeking direction to the Election Commission, to derecognise Raj Thackeray's Maharashtra Navanirman Sena, for his controversial remarks against north Indians. A bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan said that the petition would be heard on February 22, as fixed by the registry. The petition had been filed by advocate Arvind Shukla.
A First Information Report was on Wednesday lodged against Narendra Modi by the Gujarat police following an order of the Election Commission's which held that he violated the model code.
West Bengal on Sunday recorded 79.70 per cent voting in the second phase of assembly polls in 56 constituencies.
'They might not have liked his judgments on IT rules, the Election Commission and Pondicherry.'
A day after Election Commission cracked the whip against Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan for his controversial remarks on Kargil war, Ghaziabad police on Saturday booked the UP minister on charge of promoting enmity on ground of religion and other offences but he remained defiant.
The Andhra Pradesh Raj Bhavan sex scandal and the paternity suit a love child filed against Tiwari dogged him in his 80s.
Arjun Singh said he will speak after election results are out.
'The symbol will come to EPS camp... there is no doubt about it.'
Bharti also targeted Congress chief Rahul Gandhi, saying by choosing to contest elections from Amethi and Wayanad, he has accepted defeat.
Aaron Schock, who resigned as US Congressman on Tuesday night following media disclosures of his loose spending habits, met Narendra Modi thrice. These encounters were not free of controversy either.
People, security forces and Election Commission should be the ones who should get the credit for the polls, said the Centre.
The Commission's strongly-worded instructions came close on the heels of politicians using election rallies and press conferences to target each other ahead of the crucial assembly elections.
The Election Commission on Wednesday censured Narendra Modi's close aide Amit Shah and Uttar Pradesh Minister Azam Khan for making controversial remarks during campaigning.
The BJP urged the EC to take 'suo motu cognisance' and take suitable action.
Eshwarappa would turn 75 in June, the unofficial age bar in the BJP for leaders to contest polls and hold official positions.
Former Navy Chief Admiral L Ramdas in his letter to CEC Sunil Arora said that the armed forces are not a "private force" belonging to any individual or political party.
Union Minister Jairam Ramesh on Sunday refuted reports that he wanted Rahul Gandhi to apologise to the Muslim community for his controversial remarks that ISI was having links with Muzaffarnagar riot-hit youths, saying that his comments were twisted by the media.
Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam president M Karunanidhi on Tuesday appeared to doubt the Election Commission's neutrality, asking if the poll body was 'pretending' to be so in enforcing the model code of conduct.
Expressing "serious concern" over repeated violation of the Model Code of Conduct by Union minister Beni Prasad Verma, the Election Commission on Thursday censured him for making "highly insulting" remarks against Narendra Modi while addressing an election rally in Kanpur.
The Election Commission on Monday gave a go-ahead to the Defence Ministry to initiate the process of appointing the next Army chief, an issue that has got caught in a controversy because of stiff opposition in the matter by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
The Election Commission on Monday gave a go-ahead to the Defence Ministry to initiate the process of appointing the next Army chief, an issue that has got caught in a controversy because of stiff opposition in the matter by the Bharatiya Janata Party.
As of now, political advertisements are barred in electronic media, including TV, radio and social media platforms.
Political parties were bracing for the assembly election results on Thursday in the crucial state of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab and politically volatile Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, sending out feelers for possible post-poll tie-ups.
'The Badals have made the Akali Dal a family enterprise and undermined the Sikh faith. They have no right to call themselves Akalis. We have approached the Election Commission to register ourselves as the Akali Dal with a different nomenclature. We will impress on people's minds that we are the real Akali Dal' Sai Manish reports on the fight for supremacy over the Akali Dal.
the state government has decided to send a proposal to the Election Commission seeking its permission to remove Home secretary A K Biswas.
