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EC issues notice to Sonia

J. Venkatesan

New Delhi: The Election Commission, by a majority of 2:1, on Friday issued notice to Congress president Sonia Gandhi seeking her response to an allegation that she had incurred disqualification as member of Parliament under Article 102(1)(d) of the Constitution for accepting the ‘Order of Leopold’ from the King of Belgium in November 2006.

While Chief Election Commissioner N. Gopalaswami and Election Commissioner Navin Chawla agreed on sending the notice, Commissioner S.Y. Quraishi opposed it. The Commission has asked her to reply in three weeks.

Simultaneously, by a majority decision of 2:1, the Commission sent a letter to the Ministry of External Affairs (MEA) seeking details of the award ‘Grand Officer of the Order of Leopold’ received by Ms. Gandhi. While the two Commissioners were in favour of the Commission sending the letter to the MEA, the CEC opposed the move. The Commission has asked the MEA to respond in three weeks.

The Commission’s notice to Ms. Gandhi was in response to a reference from the former President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam, who forwarded a petition received from P. Rajan of Kochi. It is expected to take a decision on the reference after studying the reply from Ms. Gandhi and the details furnished by the MEA.

Asked about the letter sent by advocate Abhishek Singhvi as a representative of the Congress and its president seeking dismissal of the petition, authoritative sources in the Commission said, “The Commission has refused to take cognisance of this letter as neither the Congress nor its president were parties in this particular reference.” Hence his letter was not considered. The Commission has written to Mr. Singhvi explaining its stand.

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