The Election Commission of India (ECI) today relaxed the restrictions imposed on Punjab minister Bikram Singh Majithia, a day ahead of polls in the state.
The poll body had yesterday imposed restrictions on Majithia's movement to his polling station area from where he is an elector.
"Now Bikram's movement would be restricted to boundaries of Majitha Assembly segment instead of earlier orders of polling station area from where he is an elector and shall not visit any other part of assembly segment of Amritsar Parliamentary constituency," Punjab's CEO V K Singh said.
He, however, said that "we have received a communication from ECI that his movements would continue to be kept under surveillance and videographed as per yesterday's instructions".
After the ECI order on Bikram, the ruling SAD had reacted strongly describing it as "unprecedented, unwarranted and totally undemocratic" and sought immediate reversal of the order issued by the ECI.
Majithia had at an election rally allegedly distorted a hymn in Gurbani, compositions of Sikh gurus, and inserted BJP candidate from Amritsar, Arun Jaitley's name into it. BJP and SAD are fighting the polls jointly in Punjab.
A 'Hukamnama' (edict) holding Majithia guilty of religious misconduct was issued yesterday. The minister had later tendered an apology to Giani Gurbachan Singh, Jathedar of Akal Takht, the highest temporal seat of Sikhs.
