HP Cong files complaint against former ITBP officer

The Himachal Pradesh Congress has written to the Election Commission of India demanding strict action against a former Indo-Tibetan Border Police (ITBP) officer who joined the BJP wearing his full uniform. "We have written to the ECI today to take action under Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 against BJP leaders and retired ITBP assistant commandant Om Prakash who joined BJP wearing his full uniform in a public meeting in Dharamshala on Friday," state Congress president Kuldeep Singh Rathore said Saturday.

Rathore asked what message the BJP wants to convey to the public by doing so. "This is nothing but defiance of EC directions and an unsuccessful attempt by BJP to use central armed police force (CAPF) uniform for getting political mileage in the Lok Sabha polls," he said.

The state Congress president said the uniform of the CAPF is our nation's pride and it should not be used by any political party for seeking votes. He claimed that when asked by media, the retired ITBP officer said he had been allowed by Himachal Pradesh Chief Minister Jai Ram Thakur to wear his uniform while joining the BJP.

"If the chief minister allowed him to do so, he should clarify under which law and rules he permitted him to wear the uniform while joining BJP," Rathore said.