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EC rejects BJP's plaint against Kapil Sibal

The Election Commission today virtually rejected a BJP complaint on the commission using the services of noted lawyer and Congress MP Kapil Sibal, stating that such ''petty doubts'' should not arise over its neutrality.

''The commission wishes to make it clear that in choosing its doctors and lawyers, the commission looks for effective service and not the political leaning of such persons,'' a statement by the EC said today.

The commission's neutrality is grounded on more firm foundations. Such petty doubts should not arise in the minds of major Indian political parties, it added. The EC had noted the BJP's objection to Kapil Sibal appearing on behalf of the commission in a court case, it said. The BJP had complained against this to the commission in view of the political background of Sibal, who is a Rajya Sabha MP from the Congress and is also functioning as the party spokesman these days. The commission said it would be just as happy to use the service of Arun Jaitley, who also is a very effective speaker, and who is a member of the BJP's national executive and also on the panel of its spokespersons.

UNI

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