If you can't ensure security, don't hold polls, Arun Jaitley tells EC

New Delhi: After the EC expressed its inability in overruling the returning officer of Varanasi who denied permission for Modi's rally in Beniyabagh, a miffed Arun jaitley has tersely told EC to stop holding polls if it can't ensure security.Expressing his disappointment over EC's decision, Jaitley wrote in his blog, "If you can't ensure security, don't hold the polls in the country. But if you do hold the polls please provide a level playing field. You cannot deny the candidate the right to campaign."Jaitley also expressed surprise over the fact that while Modi has been denied permission for his rally, Rahul Gandhi, on the other hand, has been given green signal for his road show in varanasi."Rahul Gandhi can have a road show in Varanasi but Narendra Modi cannot have a rally. The security card is selectively used," wrote Jaitley."I cannot conceal my disappointment with the Election Commission. Men in constitutional offices need to be bolder. Timid men can dwarf high offices," Jaitley said.Jaitley also accused the EC of being “out of depth” in preventing instances of booth capturing during the latest round of polling.“The Election Commission scrutinises us all the time. They are extremely vigilant in tackling the side shows in the elections. They are concerned with what adjectives are used by whom.But when it comes to preventing booth capturing which has reappeared after a decade in elections 2014 they are out of their depth,” he said.Jaitley alleged that by condoning the Returning Officer's stand on ‘No-Modi rally' in Varanasi city the Commission has used the security card to prevent the BJP Prime Ministerial candidate's right to campaign in his constituency. BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said by denying permission to Modi's rally, the poll body has “surrendered” before the Uttar Pradesh government.Calling the action of Varanasi District Magistrate and Returning Officer Pranjal Yadav in this regard as “absolutely wrong”, he said the EC was “defending the indefensible” and demanded his transfer.BJP workers protested in Varanasi and in Delhi against the EC move.Charging the EC with having different yardsticks for different states, Javadekar said, “For BJP ruled states you come down heavily on the state governments and make them transfer.You can't grant permission at the eleventh hour (in Varanasi) and say we have given permission.”He said the DM's action is absolutely wrong and he needs to be transferred by the EC but instead it is defending the indefensible.“So what is the issue? The issue is you can't have different yardsticks for different states and you can't soft pedal Uttar Pradesh....The way the Commission is going is as if it has surrendered before the state government. This should not have happened,” he said.Javadekar said it was futile to give the party permission at “10'O clock in the night for a rally which needs at least 24 hours.”He asked if the poll panel could be strict with West Bengal and transfer officers, why could it not do so in Uttar Pradesh.“You made Mamata Banerjee (West Bengal Chief Minister) accept the EC verdict and made the DM go on transfer and here you are not doing your work.Why?,” Javadekar said. Jaitley also enumerated the sequence of events and called them the “falsehoods” of the Varanasi Returning Officer.