EC To Allahabad HC: Have No Power To Stop Caste-Based Rallies Organised By Political Parties

Prayagraj, March 14 (TNA) The Election Commission of India (ECI) has told the Allahabad High Court (HC) that it holds no such power to ban caste-based rallies organised by politicial parties in times when there are no elections around. The EC has no such power to restrict the convening of meetings and rallies on caste lines by political parties during the non-election period and to ban them from contesting subsequent election, the poll panel told the HC in a submission.

The submission was in response to a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) plea filed by a Moti Lal Yadav before the High Court in 2013 wherein he had sought a blanket ban on all such political rallies that organize such caste-centered rallies. The PIL plea had also sought direction from the HC to the ECI to cancel the registration of such political parties which organize such rallies.