NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Thursday issued separate notices to Congress’s Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma for their alleged objectionable remarks while campaigning in poll-bound Rajasthan and Chhattisgarh respectively.
In its notice to Priyanka over her remarks about religiosity of PM Narendra Modi and to Sarma over his “communally-charged” remarks and “unverified allegations against Congress leader Mohammed Akbar”, EC said they prime facie violate the model code provision requiring criticism of other parties to be confined to their policies and programmes and not extend to aspects of private life of party leaders and workers or be based on unverified allegations and distortion.
Both Priyanka and Sarma were asked by EC why appropriate action should not be taken against them under the model code. They have been directed to respond by 5pm on October 30. A senior EC functionary said the notices are in line with the poll panel’s consistent “no-nonsense” approach against violations of the model code or Representation of the People Act.
The model code also requires parties and candidates to not indulge in any activity that may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, whether religious or linguistic.
In its notice to Priyanka over her remarks about religiosity of PM Narendra Modi and to Sarma over his “communally-charged” remarks and “unverified allegations against Congress leader Mohammed Akbar”, EC said they prime facie violate the model code provision requiring criticism of other parties to be confined to their policies and programmes and not extend to aspects of private life of party leaders and workers or be based on unverified allegations and distortion.
Both Priyanka and Sarma were asked by EC why appropriate action should not be taken against them under the model code. They have been directed to respond by 5pm on October 30. A senior EC functionary said the notices are in line with the poll panel’s consistent “no-nonsense” approach against violations of the model code or Representation of the People Act.
The model code also requires parties and candidates to not indulge in any activity that may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, whether religious or linguistic.