KAITHAL: District Election Officer and DC DrVivek Bharti said that political parties and contesting candidates will not be allowed by the Election Commission to use the playgrounds of schools and colleges for election rallies. He has clarified that there has been a ban on this issue by the Punjab and Haryana High Court.
He said that during the election campaign, the sentiments of the voters will not be influenced on the basis of caste, religion, community and high standards will have to be maintained during the election campaign. He said that the citizens of India have the right to freedom of expression under Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution, but the objective of the Model Code of Conduct is contained in its various provisions and it should be followed.
Dr. Vivek Bharti said that during the election campaign, no temple, mosque, church, gurudwara or other religious place can be used for election campaign. Apart from this, speeches, posters, music, election related material cannot be used in these. He said that photographs of defense personnel or programs of defense personnel will not be used in advertisements during the election campaign.
He said that the election code of conduct should also be strictly followed by star campaigners. The Election Commission has made it mandatory to maintain a register by the Chief Electoral Officer and District Election Officers to monitor cases of election code of conduct violations.