Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray and a leading Marathi news channel has been booked for allegedly violating the model code of conduct, a day before polling for 10 municipal corporations, including Mumbai, will be held, police said on Wednesday.
An FIR was registered against the estranged nephew of Shiv Sena chief Bal Thackeray last night after Star Maza aired his interview even as the campaigning for the civic polls ended in the evening, they said.
A complaint in this regard was lodged by a BMC officer entrusted with election duty. “The FIR was registered against Raj Thackeray and ‘Star Maza’ news channel and its representatives under IPC section 188 (disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant) as they violated the code of conduct. The complaint was filed by a BMC officer, who is tasked with election duty for the upcoming polling,” deputy police commissioner (zone III) Kishore Jadhav told PTI. Even though the model code of conduct states that the poll campaign should conclude 48 hours before the polling, the channel had aired the interview of the politician which has been termed as part of the campaign by the officer, senior inspector S Ghangare of N M Joshi Marg police station said. The polling for the ten civic bodies, including the country's richest municipal corporation, will be held tomorrow and counting the next day.
MNS is contesting 225 seats in Mumbai. The accused could face one month simple imprisonment or will have to shell out a fine of Rs 200 or both for the offence, police said.