The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : EC urged to withdraw reprimand order

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Sunday, Dec 03, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

EC urged to withdraw reprimand order

Special Correspondent

BANGALORE: On the last day of campaign to the byelection to the Chamundeshwari Assembly constituency, Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy criticised the Election Commission and said it has issued an order reprimanding him "in haste" and asked the panel withdraw it.

Mr. Kumaraswamy said he had not transgressed the model code of conduct and appealed to the commission to withdraw its order issued on November 29, 2006, and issue a clarification as early as possible.

The commission had reprimanded the Chief Minister on the ground that he had announced a self-employment scheme for Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes in Mysore.

Mr. Kumaraswamy in a three-page letter to the Secretary, Election Commission, New Delhi, on Saturday, said: "The commission has ignored and overlooked various facts which ought to have been examined before arriving at its unilateral decision that he had violated the model of code of conduct."

He said the Swayam Udyog or Self-Employment Scheme has been in existence for many years. In fact, the State budget for 2006-07 had mentioned about the scheme. Loans under the scheme were distributed on October 14, 2006, before the code of conduct came into force, he said.

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