Congress accuses Election Commission of bias in Haryana, signals possible legal action

'NOT SURPRISED EC CLEARED ITSELF'

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NEW DELHI: The Congress on Friday hit back at the Election Commission (EC), accusing the poll body of bias after the EC dismissed allegations of irregularities in the recently held Haryana assembly elections.

The Congress also accused the poll body of attacking the party and its leaders and threatened to take legal action for expunging such remarks if it continues to do so.

The grand old party claimed that the Election Commission's response was "condescending" and suggested the panel is "remarkably effective" at eroding its neutrality.

The main Opposition party claimed that the poll body had "given a clean chit to itself" and shared a "generic non-reply" that primarily focused on diminishing the complaints and petitioners.

"We have carefully studied your response to our complaints. Not surprisingly, the ECI has given a clean chit to itself...If the current ECI's goal is to strip itself of the last vestiges of neutrality, then it is doing a remarkable job at creating that impression," the party said in its letter.

The party said it had been compelled to write a counter-response due to the "tone and tenor" of the ECI message as well as "the language used and the allegations made against the INC".

The Congress warned that if the poll panel persists with such language then it would have no choice but to seek legal recourse to expunge such remarks.