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EC stays screening Kargil docus till voting is over

The Election Commission has restrained the screening of any documentary on the Kargil conflict till the conclusion of voting for the 13th Lok Sabha on October 3.

The commission said today that screening of documentaries on Kargil -- which it described as ''the major issue in political debate at the moment'' -- would not be in consonance with the Model Code of Conduct.

It said that after considering all factors, the commission was clear that now that the President and prime minister had paid tribute to the jawans and given recognition in the shape of gallantry awards, ''in our long established democracy, it is necessary, that the defence forces step back out of the limelight, and allow the political system of India to argue it out before their masters -- the people''.

The internationally acclaimed neutrality of the Indian armed forces, should not in any direct or indirect manner, be brought into comment and criticism. ''The defence ministry too, should keep this in mind, since the hon'ble minister is a major political figure, and likely parliamentary candidate in this election. The screening of a Kargil documentary, at this juncture, is not in consonance with the code of conduct. It may be done from the evening of the 3rd of October 1999 when voting is over,'' a commission statement said.

The EC also appealed to all political parties to maintain the well known high standards of fairness of Indian elections.

UNI

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