Election Commission censures Telangana minister for making unsubstantiated allegations

The ECI also strictly warned her to remain careful in her public utterances during the Model Code of Conduct currently in force.

Hyderabad: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has “strongly censured” Forest Minister Konda Surekha  for her misconduct, especially on her “unsubstantiated allegations” over phone tapping issue and leveling charges against Bharat Rashtra Samithi and its working president KT Rama Rao.

The ECI also strictly warned her to remain careful in her public utterances during the Model Code of Conduct currently in force.

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BRS former MLC Karne Prabhakar and Spokesperson Dasoju Sravan had complained to the ECI over the Forest Minister’s allegations against the BRS party during a press conference on April 1.

The Forest Minister had accused that KT Rama Rao was blackmailing heroines and even brought some of the officers to a situation of losing their jobs and facing imprisonment.

Following which the ECI sought a report from the District Election Officer, Warangal. The ECI in its order issued to Forest Minister Konda Surekha on Friday said that political parties and leaders should not make false statements, utterances without factual basis aimed at misleading the voters.

The ECI further reminded Konda Surekha that she was Star Campaigner of the Congress party in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections, besides being a Minister in the Telangana Government.

Stating that by making the above remarks, the Forest Minister had violated Model Code of Conduct, the ECI in its order said any unverified or unsubstantiated claim made by you without any proof has the propensity to malign the image of a political party or candidate in opposition.