Elections 2019: Copies of Book on Rafale Deal Seized by EC Squad in Chennai
Image Courtesy: Money Control
New Delhi: An Election Commission flying squad, along with police personnel, seized copies of a book on the controversial Rafale fighter aircraft deal from a publishing house in Teynampet, Chennai, according to The Hindu. The book was scheduled to be released on Tuesday evening by N. Ram, Chairman of the Hindu Group.
However, later Satyabrata Sahoo, Chief Electoral Officer of Tamil Nadu, denied any such order by his office to top the release of the book, saying that an inquiry had been ordered.
“The Book Nattai Ulukkum Rafale Bera Uzhaal' (the Rafale Scam That is Rocking the Country), brought out by Tamil publishing house Bharathi Puttakalayam, is written by social activist S. Vijayan. The publisher had decided to release the book from the publication house office,” said The Hindu.
As per the newspaper, the flying squad, led by S. Ganesh, Assistant Executive Engineer, Thousands Lights Constituency, reached the publishing house on Elango Street along with the local police inspector and told publisher Nagarajan that the book release function and sale of the book could not be permitted under the model code of conduct.
Ganesh reportedly also showed a hand-written letter banning the book's release and sale, and despite protests by the publisher and other staff, the police personnel and other officials seized all copies of the book.
The election squad reportedly seized 142 copies of the book from the publishing house based on information received over phone.
The books were handed over to the Inspector of E3 police station. “It has been referred to the RO, Chennai Central, and they [books] have been released now,” Sahoo told The Hindu.
However, the publisher said he had decided to go ahead with the book release function, which the ECI had permitted.
Reacting to the incident, senior lawyer Prashant Bhuhan, who is one of the petitioners in the Rafale case along with former BJP ministers Arun Shourie and Yashwant Sinha, tweeted:
“EC bans book on Rafale scam & seizes copies, citing Model Code of Conduct! EC allows propaganda movie on Modi, allows Modi to use AIR&DD for election speech on Anti satellite missile, allows misuse of of Railways&advertisement money by govt for elections, but bans book on Rafale!”
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