New Delhi, Nov 5 (DHNS): Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi on Monday was granted four more days by the Election Commission to reply to its notice with regard to allegations of violation of the Model Code of Conduct by referring to the Muzaffarnagar riots in his poll campaign speeches in Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.
The Election Commission had issued a notice to Gandhi on October 31 for his speeches in Indore, Madhya Pradesh and Churu, Rajasthan, in which he had claimed Pakistan's ISI was in touch with Muzaffarnagar riot victims and charged BJP with indulging in politics of hatred. It had sought a reply from him by Monday (Nov 4) morning.
Citing the festival season, the Congress leader had sought a week's time from Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath for holding legal consultations before replying to the notice. Gandhi had said he received the notice only at 9:30 pm on Thursday and hardly had any time to reply. He has now been asked to reply to the notice by Friday.
“The Commission has considered your request for extension of time for submitting your reply to the Notice..., has decided to extend the time for reply to the said Notice up to 1100 hrs on November 8, 2013 (Friday),” the poll panel conveyed to Gandhi through a letter.
The Commission had asked him to explain why action should not be initiated against him for prima facie violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
The model code prescribes that “no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic”.
It also states that “criticism of other political parties...based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided” and that "there shall be no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes".
BJP had complained to the Commission seeking action against Gandhi for allegedly violating the code of conduct by appealing for votes on communal lines and inciting hatred among different communities.
It had submitted a memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner, seeking withdrawal of recognition given to Congress as a national party and also demanding action against the party's Vice President for violating the code.
In its complaint, the BJP had claimed the tone and tenor of Gandhi's speech was to incite communal hatred and tension between Hindus-Sikhs and Hindus-Muslims and make an appeal for votes in favour of Congress on the basis of communal sentiments.
In Indore, Gandhi had, in his speech, claimed that intelligence agencies in Pakistan were approaching some victims of Muzaffarnagar riots to lure them to terrorism.
“BJP felt that unless there is a Hindu versus Muslim situation in Uttar Pradesh, they would not do well. So, they set this fire,” Gandhi had alleged, adding it was Congress which had “doused the fire”.
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