NEW DELHI — India's main opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) was taken to task by political parties and the media over its “attack” on the country's poll watchdog. The BJP held a protest on Thursday in Varanasi city after its leader and prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi was denied permission to hold a rally there by the Election Commission (EC). Modi is contesting the Varanasi constituency in the general election. The BJP later said that the EC “did not act in a fair manner.” “I cannot conceal my disappointment with the EC. Men in constitutional offices need to be bolder. Timid men can dwarf high offices,” senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley wrote in his blog. Jaitley's jibe at thr EC drew sharp reactions from political parties opposing the BJP, particularly the Congress party. Some newspapers also felt the BJP's criticism has weakened the EC's authority. “Directly attacking the EC not only undermines the authority of this crucial institution but also casts aspersions on the democratic process itself,” said the leading Indian English-language daily. “If all of this is a BJP strategy to whip up support and energize the party cadre ahead of the last round of polling, it is a terrible precedent for a national party to set,” the paper added. Another national daily said: “Major national parties must ensure that they don't step out of line as far as the EC guidelines are concerned and cast doubts on the intentions of the election watchdog publicly.” While reacting to the EC's alleged bias against the BJP, Modi said, “it is for the Election Commission to answer why specifically a single party is being troubled, why Modi is being troubled.”
