Lok Sabha polls: Cash, liquor of Rs 91 lakh seized in Kathua

MCC violations 12963 defacements removed

Jammu: More than Rs 51 lakh in cash and liquor worth nearly Rs 40 lakh were seized in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district on Wednesday, taking the total seizures to Rs 1.20 crore since the enforcement of the model code of conduct for the Lok Sabha elections, officials said.
Enforcement teams intercepted some vehicles and seized Rs 51.54 lakh in cash along with liquor valued at Rs 39.63 lakh, they said.
These decisive actions underscore a collective commitment to preserving the integrity of the electoral process, they added.
District Election Officer of Kathua Rakesh Minhas said, "We are continuously working to swiftly and resolutely identify and rectify any breach of the model code of conduct."
He emphasized that such efforts are pivotal in deterring illicit activities that may compromise the democratic process and ensuring that voters can exercise their rights without any external influence or coercion.
The administration urged citizens to remain vigilant and promptly report any suspicious activity or violation of the poll code to the authorities concerned.
On March 28, cash and liquor worth Rs 29 lakh were seized in Jammu and Kashmir's Kathua district.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir administration has removed 12,963 defacements, including 3,815 posters and 3,320 banners, across the Union Territory to implement the Election Commission's model code of conduct in letter and spirit.
After the imposition of the model code of conduct (MCC) on March 16, when the Election Commission announced the schedule of the Lok Sabha elections, the poll machinery in Jammu and Kashmir swung into action to ensure that the apex poll body's guidelines are followed, the officials said.
Under the supervision of the chief electoral officer, flying squads and MCC teams removed 12,963 defacements from government, public and private properties across all the 20 districts of the Union Territory (UT), they said.
A total of 680 wall writings, 3,815 posters, 3,320 banners and 5,148 related materials were removed, they said.
The removal process was carried out by 357 district MCC teams along with the flying squad teams to ensure that no political advertisement at the expense of the public exchequer is displayed prominently during the restricted period, they said.