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The Election Commission on Saturday issued a show cause notice to Union Minister for Chemicals and Fertilisers M K Alagiri for allegedly violating model code of conduct ahead of the April 13 assesmbly polls in Tamil Nadu.
In its notice, the EC said Alagiri had made an official visit to Chennai but indulged in political activities in his home district Madurai. It pointed out that the minister left for Chennai on March two on an official visit to review the functioning of the Central Institute of Plastics Engineering and Technology and also visited Madurai on March four.
"By combining your visit to Chennai, which is said to be official, with your visit to Madurai and indulging in political activities there, you have violated the provisions of model code of conduct," the EC said.
"The Election Commission hereby gives a notice to you to show cause why action should not be taken against you for the above violations of the model code of conduct," it said.
Seeking his reply by March 7, the EC said failure to respond to the notice would be assumed that he had nothing to say in the matter and action would be initiated against him without any further notice.
The EC said that in the letter of the secretary of the ministry of chemicals and fertilisers to Tamil Nadu chief secretary "it is nowhere certified that your visit to Chennai was purely official business which could not be avoided in public interest".
Pointing out that as per its instructions, the secretary should have given prior intimation to the Chief Secretary of his visit, it said while the minister had left for Chennai on March 2, the Secretary wrote to the state government on March 3.