The Election Commission has given a clean chit to Kerala chief minister V.S. Achuthananan in the complaint filed by his rival Congress candidate, Lathika Subhash, that he insulted her with an insinuating comment.
Sources said that the full sitting of the commission in New Delhi on Saturday analysed the video clippings and transcript of Mr Achuthanandan’s press conference in Palakkad wherein he made the comment.
After perusing them, the commission ruled that the chief minister’s comments on Ms Subhash did not amount to violation of the model code of conduct.
The EC also looked into Mr Achuthanandan’s complaint that his remarks on Ms Subhash were being distorted by his political opponents.
Speaking at a news conference the other day, Mr Achuthanandan had said that Ms Subhash was famous, but it was for the journalists to find out details of her fame.
Taking offence at the comments, Ms Subhash filed complaints with the EC and later with the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Palakkad under IPC Section 509 which relates to “uttering any word or making any gesture intended to insult the modesty of a woman”.
The judicial magistrate court would conduct the probe directly and would collect the evidences on April 30.
Chief electoral officer Nalini Netto had sent the Palakkad district collector’s report regarding Mr Achuthanandan’s press conference to the EC the other day.
The chief minister had later clarified that he was only referring to Ms Subhash’s fame as a Congress leader.