New Delhi: Charging the Congress with being a party of "serial offenders" of the Election Commission`s model code of conduct, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Tuesday said it will oppose any move to weaken the poll panel.
"We will oppose weakening of the EC... the Congress is party of serial offenders of the model code and don`t like to be regulated by it," BJP leader Arun Jaitley told reporters here.

Terming the government`s alleged plans to place the control of the model code under the courts, he said as per the law of the land, the parliament`s will prevails to ensure free and fair laws and in its absence, the EC`s executive jurisdiction is supreme. "The model code of conduct comes under EC`s executive powers and aims to discipline the candidates and political parties," said Jaitley.

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Stating that the Congress was in the habit of attacking public institutions, he said the government will not be able to pass such a law.

"We will oppose any move to weaken the EC. The EC conducts elections and not the courts," said Jaitley. The BJP charge came even as the government denied reports that its group of ministers on corruption was considering a proposal to take the poll model code of conduct out of the Election Commission`s purview and providing the rules statutory status.

Currently, assembly elections are underway in five states, including Uttar Pradesh, where several central ministers from the Congress party, including Law Minister Salman Khurshid and Steel Minister Beni Prasad Verma have promised a quota in education and government jobs for Muslims.

The Election Commission has taken objection to these statements and termed them as violation of the model code.
IANS