EC Seeks JP Nadda, Mallikarjun Kharge’s Response Amid Spate Of Complaints By BJP, Congress – News18

Last Updated:November 16, 2024, 17:52 IST

The Election Commission also exchanged the complaints between the two parties while seeking their responses by 1 pm on Monday, November 18.

BJP chief JP Nadda and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. (File)

In the wake of complaints by BJP and Congress against one another in the ongoing assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday sent separate letters to BJP President JP Nadda and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, to sought their respective responses on the complaints of each other.

The Election Commission also exchanged the complaints between the two parties while seeking their responses by 1 pm on Monday, November 18.

The poll panel reminded the party presidents of an earlier advisory issued to them dated May 22, 2024 during Lok Sabha Elections, which asked them to keep a check on campaigners and leaders so that public decorum is not flouted and Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is followed in letter and spirit during election campaigning.

The EC’s action came after both the national parties (BJP and Congress) approached the poll commission to complain against each other during the campaigning in the ongoing state legislative assembly elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.

BJP’s Complaint To EC

The BJP had complained to the poll body against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for his alleged “false” statements made during his speeches. The BJP said, “… Gandhi’s’ speech was full of falsehood and lies, intending to create disaffection, enmity and ill-will between the states of the Union of India… Gandhi with his misleading statement has tried to create a divide between the people of Maharashtra and Gujarat and other states.”

The saffron camp had further demanded that there should be an FIR against Gandhi and Kharge for their false statements.

“It is stated that Shri Rahul Gandhi has made totally unverified claims and has distorted the truth by stating that Apple’s iPhones and Boeing’s airplanes are being manufactured in other states of the country at the expense of the State of Maharashtra. Through his statements, Shri Rahul Gandhi has falsely accused other states of stealing and snatching alleged opportunities from the State Maharashtra,” the letter from BJP leaders had said.

The party had further said Gandhi with his statements is inciting the youths of Maharashtra “which is immensely dangerous for the unity and integrity of the nation”.

Earlier this week, the party had filed a complaint before the Election Commission of India against Rahul Gandhi accusing him of making false statements about the Indian Constitution in poll-bound Maharashtra and lying to “create differences between two states”.

Citing a November 6 speech by Gandhi, the BJP’s complaint to the Election Commission said he has committed “gross violation of electoral laws, model code of conduct (MCC), and criminal law”.

The BJP had further alleged that the Congress MP, by saying all plum projects were being diverted from Maharashtra to Gujarat, was trying to “incite” youths of the state, which is “immensely dangerous for the unity and integrity of the nation”.

In another complaint, the BJP had alleged that some Muslim bodies are trying to vitiate the poll atmosphere in Maharashtra and Jharkhand by appealing to their community members to vote for the INDIA bloc on the lines of religion.

Congress’ Complaint To EC

The Congress filed complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In his letter to the ECI, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that PM Modi levelled allegations against the current leadership of the Congress and claimed that the it was opposed to the interests of the ST, SC and OBC communities.

“In his statements, Shri Narendra Modi levelled allegations against prominent leaders of the INC and former Prime Ministers namely Late Jawaharlal Nehru, Late Indira Gandhi and Late Rajiv Gandhi. Mr. Modi alleged that the INC leaders were opposed to the Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribe (ST) communities and Other Backward Classes (OBC),” the letter read.

“The tone and tenor of the entire speech is further evidence of the speaker’s intention to create and spread religious and caste-based animosity,” Ramesh said in the letter.

The Congress leader also listed several other statements of PM Modi including the one about Article 370.

“The invocation of caste references by the BJP Star Campaigner to gain political mileage is clearly in furtherance of the BJP’s vitriolic and inciteful campaign intended to; (a) promote enmity between communities; (b) tarnish and malign the reputation of the INC and its senior leadership; and (c) mislead the general public, instigating them to oppose the INC for being against members of the SC, ST, and OBC communities,” Ramesh said.

In another complaint, the grand old party had approached the ECI over a BJP advertisement targeting JMM-Congress-RJD alliance leaders, saying baseless allegations and statements were ascribed to them while portraying them in a negative light with the sole intent of propagating false narratives.

It had said that under the Model Code of Conduct, no political party, leader or candidate can engage in electoral campaigning that is based on false information about opposing political parties or candidates, Ramesh said.

In another complaint, the Congress alleged grounding of Rahul Gandhi’s helicopter in poll-bound Jharkhand and sought its urgent intervention in ensuring a level playing field in poll campaigning. Jairam Ramesh had alleged that Gandhi’s chopper was not allowed to take off due to restrictions leading to his public meetings getting either delayed or cancelled.