The Election Commission of India has strongly censured Congress star campaigner and Telangana Minister Konda Surekha for making unverified allegations against the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) and its Working president K T Rama Rao. The ECI in its order, said it had received a complaint from BRS spokesperson Karne Prabhakar on the 6th of April alleging that Surekha had made “unverified and unsubstantiated allegations” against the party and Mr Rao at a press conference on the 1st of April. The EC then sought the Telangana chief electoral officer for a report, which it received on the 16th of April. The report said Surekha alleged that Rao had “blackmailed many persons like heroines and brought some of the officers to a situation of losing their jobs and facing imprisonment” by tapping phones. The Commission said Surekha had violated the Model Code of Conduct and its advisory to parties on the 1st of March to avoid making unverified allegations during campaigning. It said that Surekha was not only a star campaigner, but also a Minister and had the additional responsibility of choosing her words carefully while making any claim or allegations against any political party or the leader. The Commission further said the unverified allegations made by her pose a risk of maligning the image of the Opposition party or leader and disturbing the level-playing field amid the ongoing election process in the State. The Commission strongly censured and warned the leader to remain careful in her public utterances during the period of the Model Code of Conduct.
Disclaimer: This press release is sourced from News On AIR, Prasar Bharti and Press Information Bureau India (PIB).
