National

Police `excesses' as Gujarat campaign ends

By Manas Dasgupta

GANDHINAGAR FEB. 19. Campaigning ended this evening for the byelections to the three Assembly constituencies in Gujarat, with the Congress complaining of "police excesses'' in Rajkot-II from where the Chief Minister, Narendra Modi, is seeking his maiden entry to the House.

According to the Pradesh Congress vice-president, Hasmukh Patel, at least four party workers had to be hospitalised after they were injured in a police lathi-charge while trying to distribute election pamphlets.

A notice against the distribution of pamphlets had been issued by the Rajkot Police Commissioner, Upendra Singh, after the BJP-turned-Congress former member of the Assembly, Yatin Oza, questioned the marital status of the Chief Minister claiming that Mr. Modi had "deserted'' his legally married wife at a very young age and was now posing as a bachelor. The police resorted to a lathi-charge when Congress workers attempted to distribute election pamphlets defying the ban orders and also held protest demonstrations in front of the Commissioner's office alleging that the notice was in violation of democratic norms.

There were scuffles at several places in Rajkot as the police attempted to prevent the distribution of any kind of pamphlet. The Congress has complained to the Election Commission seeking shifting of the Police Commissioner till the byelections are over to ensure "free and fair polling'' on Thursday.

The Leader of the Opposition in the Assembly, Naresh Raval, alleged that the police in Rajkot were acting like an "extension of the ruling BJP'' and prevented anyone from speaking against the Chief Minister.

The Gujarat High Court, which heard the Congress plea has refrained from issuing any interim order and fixed the next hearing for February 22 after polling is completed.

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