The Election Commission has asked the Madhya Pradesh government to remove the ruling BJP’s symbol — Lotus — from school textbooks within two weeks and “to fix responsibility on the officials responsible for such acts.”The EC note, conveying displeasure over printing of Lotus, has asked the state government to submit a compliance report within two weeks.On complaints from the Congress, the EC had on August 24 summoned the Madhya Pradesh Chief Secretary and Principal Secretary (Education) and asked them to file a report on this. Today’s order is based on the report, which said that the Lotus in the books “exactly resembles” the BJP symbol.The EC had earlier issued a similar order against former Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Ajit Jogi when school bags with his photograph on them were distributed prior to Assembly polls. The bags were withdrawn on the EC order.Trident ban withdrawnBhopal: Coinciding with the VHP’s Trishul Deeksha programme at Jabalpur today, the Madhya Pradesh government has revoked the ban on public display of small tridents, sources said.Chief Minister Babulal Gaur yesterday directed the Home Department to denotify the ban, imposed in August 2002, when the Congress was in power.Meanwhile, condemning the move, the Congress said it would disturb communal harmony in the state.The ban was imposed by the Digvijay Singh government in order to prevent attempts to flare up communal sentiments and create fear among the minorities, state Congress general secretary Manak Agrawal said in a statement here. —PTI
