New Delhi: The Election Commission on Saturday gave a clean chit to Rahul Gandhi in the ongoing controversy over allegation against Con-gress vice-president for violating secrecy of voting by entering the enclosure of the EVM in one of the polling booths in Amethi.
An investigation conducted by the poll panel found that Mr Gandhi visited the polling station when the machine was not working and polling was not in progress.
“The enquiry disclosed that Rahul Gandhi visited polling station at 10.15 a.m. when the machine was not working and no poll was taking place,” said a directive issued by principal secretary (ECI) R.K. Srivastava.
“After Mr Gandhi left, replacement EVM was received and polling commenced at 10.35 am. Under the above circumstances no case of any violation is made out against him,” Mr Srivastava added.
Earlier in the day chief election commissioner V.S. Sampath told reporters, “No case is made out,” on the issue when asked about allegations that Mr Gandhi had violated secrecy of voting.
Mr Sampath said that they also checked with the photographer of of the hindi daily, who had clicked the picture, and polling agents of other candidates as well as micro observers and found that “no polling was going on at that time.”
