CEC rejects charges of 'bias', says clean chit to Modi, Shah given based on 'appreciation of facts'

Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora Wednesday rejected criticism that the poll body gave clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah on complaints related to Model code violations due to its "bias", saying it was decided on merit and disapproved fellow Commissioner Ashok Lavasa raising the issue of dissent in the middle of the poll exercise.

Arora also said there are "times to remain quiet and times to speak up", indicating that the issue could have been raised post elections.

In an interview to PTI, the CEC said he is not a "moral judge of anybody, least of all somebody as senior as Lavasa".

"Whatever may have been his misgivings or feelings, ultimately none of us can tell a lie to ourselves," Arora said, while noting that all the members of the poll body are not supposed to be "photo copies" of each other.

Asked whether the controversy relating to Lavasa's dissent was 'avoidable' during elections, Arora replied,"I did not start the controversy ... I had said that eloquence of silence is always difficult but far more desirable to see the election process through instead of creating ill-timed controversies.... and I stand by that."
On allegations by opposition parties that the EC was biased in clearing cases related to the PM and Shah, Arora said, "If the clean chit was given, it was given on merit and on the appreciation of facts. I have nothing more to say on that."