Under heavy attack for the ?hate campaign? unleashed by chief minister Narendra Modi in Gujarat, the BJP central leadership on Thursday sought to hit back at the Congress by asking the Election Commission to take action against Sonia Gandhi triggering the controversy by calling Modi a ?merchant of death?.
Opposition leader LK Advani led the BJP counteroffensive as he charged that words like ?merchant of death? and ?dishonest? that she had used against Modi were ?highly objectionable? and should be taken cognisance of by the poll body.
Bringing the EC in the firing line, he said the poll body should not have double standards and should adopt a uniform approach.
The EC on Thursday had slapped a notice on Modi, asking why action should not be taken against him for his controversial remarks.
Addressing a press conference, Advani however maintained that Sonia?s remarks were not compatible in a democratic setup, stressing that the BJP and the Congress should behave like political adversaries and not enemies. He pointed out that he had already shared this view with Congress MP Rahul Gandhi.
Advani defended Modi to the hilt saying that the chief minister?s remarks were in response to Gandhi?s comments and should be seen in the context of terrorism.
While contending that he was yet to speak to Modi on the issue, he said, ?On the basis of whatever I have read in newspapers, I can say that his statement would not have come, had the Congress president had not made those remarks.?
Replying to a query, he said there was no question of admonishing Modi as the chief minister was speaking in the context of terrorism and should not be given any communal colour. ?Gandhi demonising a democratically-elected chief minister as merchant of death is a provocation of the gravest kind,? Advani said, adding it was a ?personalised attack and betrays a perverse mind?.
Noting that terrorism was a major challenge, he said if somebody, that too a chief minister who can proudly say there had been no major terror attacks in his state in the last five years, says something in that context it should not be given a communal colour.
?Terrorists are merchants of death no matter which religion they belong to,? he added. Asked whether he supported extra-constitutional killings, Advani said ?absolutely not? and added, ?in a democracy rule of law has to be observed and if there is a breach of law courts are there to take congnisance.?
