‘Zero tolerance for any kind of violence’

Kanpur: Any act of violence will not be tolerated and voters will be able to cast their votes peacefully and freely in Bihar, Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar asserted on Sunday, a day after the poll body took action against officials in Patna following violence during campaigning in Mokama.

“The Election Commission has zero tolerance towards any form of violence during polls,” the CEC told reporters here.

“Any act of violence will not be tolerated. All voters will be able to cast their votes peacefully, freely and transparently. The Election Commission is fully prepared for this, he said.

The Election Commission on Saturday ordered the transfer of Patna Superintendent of Police (Rural) and action against three other officials, taking a stern view of violence in Bihar’s Mokama in which gangster-turned-politician Dular Chand Yadav was killed during poll campaigning.

Former Bihar MLA Anant Singh, the ruling JD(U)’s candidate from the Mokama seat, was arrested early on Sunday in connection with the case.

Police also arrested two other persons, Manikant Thakur and Ranjeet Ram. Yadav died while he was campaigning for Jan Suraaj Party’s candidate Piyush Priyadarshi in Patna’s Mokama area on Thursday.

The CEC asserted that everyone is equal before the EC, whether it is the ruling side or the Opposition.

“For the Election Commission, there is no ‘paksh’ or ‘vipaksh’ (ruling side or Opposition). Everyone is ‘samkaksh’ (equal) before us,” Gyanesh Kumar said.