Election Commission’s word final: Jurist

Former solicitor general Harish Salve on Sunday said the EC has the last word on the violation of model code of conduct and those who disagree can move court.

“The Election Commission has the last word in the violation of the model code,” Salve said a day after the poll panel wrote to President Pratibha Patil on Union law minister Salman Khurshid’s defiant stand on quota for backward Muslims in Uttar Pradesh despite its censure.

“If somebody feels that the Election Commission is wrong there are courts of law. You can move to a court and say please set aside this directive of the Election Commission,” he added. Salve said if one constitutional authority defied another, there would be anarchy.

“It’s not the question of who’s right or who’s wrong, it’s a question of how do constitutional authorities interface,” he said.