The Election Commission on Tuesday rejected Defence Minister Manohar Parrikar’s contention that he was wrongly accused of flouting the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in poll-bound Goa on the basis of a tampered CD and an inaccurate transcript of his speech.
The poll panel asked Parrikar to submit his final reply to the notice, which the commission had served to him on February 1 for violating the MCC while campaigning for BJP candidates in poll-bound Goa.
The commission had issued the notice after the defence minister was accused of “deliberately and intentionally” instigating the public to take bribe for voting and of thereby abetting bribery during the electoral process at Chimbel in Goa on January 29.
Parrikar on February 3 sent his reply to the EC, questioning the authenticity of the CD containing the recording of his speech, which was delivered in Konkani.
The EC in its letter to Parrikar on Tuesday referred to the communiqué it received from the chief electoral officer of Goa.
Published 07 February 2017, 19:20 IST