Poll panel drops probe against Mulayam over Holi ‘bribe’

May 7th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh had an argument with a poll official in Uttar Pradesh's Mainpuri constituency after his bodyguards were stopped from entering the polling booth alongwith him. The former chief minister, who has Z plus security, got angry when an election official at the polling station in Saifai locality, said that as per the norms only one person could accompany him into the booth.

April 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Sunday conveyed its 'strong disapproval' of the unsavoury remarks by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in his election speech targetting Mainpuri District Magistrate Ministhy Dileep. 'The Election Commission conveys its strong disapproval of the manner in which Mulayam Singh Yadav made his speech at Mainpuri on March 23 and advises him to be more cautious in future,' the poll panel said in a statement here.

April 5th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Sunday conveyed its 'strong disapproval' of the unsavoury remarks by Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav in his election speech targeting Mainpuri District Magistrate Ministhy Dileep and asked him to show 'restraint' in future. 'The Election Commission conveys its strong disapproval of the manner in which Mulayam Singh Yadav made his speech at Mainpuri on March 23 and advises him to be more cautious in future,' the poll panel said in a statement here.

March 31st, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Tuesday said it is not taking any action against Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav, whose activists were filmed distributing money to potential voters. 'We have decided not to proceed into the matter,' Deputy Election Commissioner R.

March 30th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Monday issued notice to Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav for his reportedly threatening remarks against the Mainpuri district magistrate. 'The Commission considers such threats as obstacle in the conduct of free and fair elections, as such actions affect the morale of the district election machinery involved in the conduct of elections,' it said in a statement here.

March 27th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Under the poll panel scanner for his alleged disparaging remarks against the Mainpuri district magistrate, Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav Friday said he had not made any derogatory comments about the woman IAS officer and his party always believed in equality for women. 'I have not not made any derogatory comment about the district magistrate and the Samajwadi Party has always believed in equality for women and women empowerment,' Yadav told reporters here.

March 17th, 2009 PATNA - Bihar police chief D.N. Gautam and Additional Director General (headquarters) Neelmani may face action for flouting the pre-election model code of conduct by visiting Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's official residence on Holi last week, official sources said Monday.

March 15th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav on Saturday contended in his reply to the Election Commission that he had not violated the model code of conduct by giving "reward" to people during Holi as it was part of the festivities in Uttar Pradesh. In his reply to the Election Commission, Yadav, is understood to have explained that the money distributed at his native village of Saifai in Etawah should not be treated as bribe because it was nothing beyond a part of Holi tradition in the region.

March 15th, 2009 LUCKNOW - Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav has submitted his reply to the Election Commission after being noticed for distributing cash at a 'Holi Milan' function at his native Saifai village. "I have submitted the reply to the EC before the expiry of the deadline.

March 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI/LUCKNOW - As the Election Commission slapped a notice on Samajwadi Party leader Mulayam Singh Yadav for violating the Model Code of Conduct, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has also rapped Mulayam. The Congress, however, has played soft with its key ally.

March 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Thursday slapped a notice on Mulayam Singh Yadav after his activists were filmed distributing money to potential voters even as the Samajwadi Party chief admitted it was a 'mistake' though not a bribe. Hours after the poll panel pulled him up for violating the model code of conduct for the April-May Lok Sabha elections, Mulayam Singh told reporters in Lucknow: 'Yeh such hai ke bhul hui (it's correct, it was a mistake).' But he added that 'every year he gave gifts to people on Holi.

March 13th, 2009 NEW DELHI - The Election Commission Thursday issued notice to Samajwadi Party chief Mulayam Singh Yadav after his activists were filmed distributing money to potential voters. Asking him to explain why he violated the model code of conduct, which came into force March 2 when the Lok Sabha elections were announced, the poll panel asked Mulayam Singh to reply by March 14.

March 12th, 2009 NAGPUR - Popular Indian seer Asaram Bapu played Holi with devotees at his ashram in Nagpur city on Monday. Holi, which is celebrated to mark the triumph of good over evil, would be celebrated across the country on March 11.

March 12th, 2009 ALLAHABAD - A tribe of milkmen community celebrated Holi, the festival of colours, with milk, curd and butter during the weekend. They worship Lord Krishna as their family deity and thus celebrate the festival using his favourite items - milk, butter, curd and Chhach (butter milk).

March 11th, 2009 BOKARO - There is one village in Jharkhand that will not celebrate Holi Wednesday. They have not celebrated the festival for 150 years, fearing a natural calamity if they do so.