Kanpur: Action has been taken by the Election Commission (EC) against personnel of the Uttar Pradesh Police over allegations of violating guidelines during the ongoing bypolls in the state on Wednesday. The action comes after Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav shared a video claiming voters were being obstructed by cops in Kanpur.
The EC has suspended several police officers including those posted in the Sisamau assembly seat in Kanpur for the bypoll.
The decision comes after Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar directed district election officers (DEOs) and superintendents of police (SPs) to ensure impartial and seamless voting. Officials were tasked with addressing all complaints and updating complainants through social media, tagging them in posts to promote transparency.
Akhilesh Yadav claims people stopped from voting
The suspensions came after Akhilesh Yadav shared a video on X, claiming voter harassment by the police. He demanded the suspension of the officers who were seen checking voter IDs and Aadhaar cards of people going to vote in Kanpur.
“If the Election Commission has any living existence then it must come alive and immediately ensure that the administration discourages voting: Police should not check people’s IDs, roads should not be closed, voters’ IDs should not be confiscated, no one should be threatened with imprisonment by declaring the real ID as fake..” he wrote in the post listing his demands.
Kanpur Police took note of the video, saying “the concerned sub-inspectors have been suspended and everyone has been directed to ensure complete compliance with the election process.”
ट्वीट का संज्ञान लिया गया है। संबंधित उपनिरीक्षकगण को निलंबित कर दिया गया है एवं सभी को चुनाव प्रक्रिया का पूर्ण पालन सुनिश्चित करने हेतु निर्देशित किया गया है। @Uppolice @DMKanpur
— POLICE COMMISSIONERATE KANPUR NAGAR (@kanpurnagarpol) November 20, 2024
The Samajwadi Party and the BJP were at loggerheads over the allegations with the former alleging people of certain communities are being targetted and stopped from casting votes. Whereas, the BJP rejected the claims citing verifying the identity of burqa-clad women. The ruling party also alleged “fake voting” in some assembly constituencies in the state.
