MP minister Om Prakash Dhurve booked for poll code violation in Umaria

Cabinet minister Om Prakash Dhurve was booked for allegedly violating model code of conduct on Friday night after he was found staying in a hotel in Assembly bypoll-bound Umaria district .

BHOPAL: Cabinet minister Om Prakash Dhurve was booked for allegedly violating model code of conduct on Friday night after he was found staying in a hotel in Assembly bypoll-bound Umaria district four hours after campaigning closed on Friday evening.
 
Food and civil supplies minister Om Prakash Dhurve (who is also the minister in-charge of Umaria district), was found staying at the Krishna Palace Hotel in Umaria town (400-plus km from State capital Bhopal) at around 9 pm, after the campaign ended at 5 pm for the April 9 Assembly bypoll to Bandhavgarh seat of Umaria district.
 
According to Election Commission of India's rules, no outsider can remain in a poll bound district, after campaigning comes to close.
 
The matter came to light when opposition Congress workers got a whiff about the minister staying at the hotel in Umaria town. The matter was reported to district election office, after which a team of sub-divisional magistrate Rishi Pawar and additional superintendent of police Amit Verma found the minister in one of the rooms of the hotel.
 
“The minister has not been arrested, but merely taken outside the district. Case has been lodged against him for model code of conduct violation under Section 126 of Representation of the People Act 1951, which doesn't amount to a cognisable offence," said SK Shukla, superintendent of police (Umaria).
 
 
The team of officials reportedly took the minister to the Kotwali police station from where he was taken in a vehicle outside the Umaria district limits at around 11.30 pm.
 
Umaria district administration sources told the New Indian Express that by staying in the district even after campaigning ended, the minister has prima facie violated the model code of conduct.
 
Meanwhile, MP Congress president Arun Yadav has demanded a reply from the chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on the incident. Yadav also demanded the resignation of minister Om Prakash Dhurve.
 

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