EC withdraws notice to Rahul over TV interviews, says reviewing poll law
December 18, 2017  07:52
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The Election Commission has withdrawn its notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi over his TV interviews during Gujarat polls, and said it will revisit a provision in the election law under which it was issued.

The poll body had on December 13 issued the show cause notice to Rahul Gandhi for "prima facie" violating the provisions under the election law and the model code by giving interviews to TV channels.

While withdrawing the notice, it told the Congress and the BJP, "The Commission is of the considered view that due to multi-fold expansion of digital and electronic media, the extant Model Code of Conduct, Section 126 of the RP Act, 1951, and other related provisions require revisiting to cater to the requirement and challenges of the present and emerging
situations."

The poll body also decided to set up a panel to suggest amendments to a provision in the election law barring campaigning 48 hours ahead of polling, following complaints that it has failed to keep pace with information technology.

The order comes in the wake of controversies over Prime Minister Narendra Modi's FICCI meeting, Rahul Gandhi's TV interviews and the release of BJP manifesto in Gujarat -- all after campaigning had ended in the state.

-- PTI
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