New Delhi: Over 200 complaints were reported from Uttar Pradesh, including voter suppression, campaign rule violations, and EVM malfunctions, in the fifth phase of elections, according to the weekly bulletin of the Independent Panel for Monitoring Indian Elections.
Incidents of violence were reported in Bengal, it said.
“Videos that went viral showed a minor in Farrukhabad, son a of a Panchayat head, casting vote in favour of BJP, eight times, and spreading it on his social media account. The Panel is satisfied to note that the state chief electoral officer has recommended repoll in the specific polling station,” it added.
It further said that the Bharatiya Janata Party, particularly UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath, continued to use religious rhetoric and hate speech in violation of election rules.
“Adityanath also claimed, wrongly, that the opposition planned to impose an inheritance tax and hand over a portion of people’s properties to Muslims, Rohingyas, Bangladeshis, Pakistanis and Afghans. Similar lies deploying anti-Muslim tropes were repeated by him in yet another election rally,” it said.
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