Seeking to put an end to mudslinging in the Gujarat poll campaign, the Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday issued showcause notices to a BJP and a Congress leader for violating the model code of conduct.
Senior Congress leader and AICC general secretary BK Hariprasad and BJP state president Purushottam Rupala were given 48 hours by the EC on Wednesday to respond to the notices. The EC took action against them for their reported derogatory remarks against individuals in their speeches made during the election campaign.
The commission, in a statement reproduced the extract of Hariprasad?s controversial remarks that made derogatory references to Gujarat chief minister Narendra Modi. In his speech made in Valsad on October 18, Hariprasad was reported to have said that Modi did not even know his own antecedents and was not aware who his father was. Rupala, on the other hand, is being charged with making a communal speech in Surat. Rupala was reported to have said, ?Congress leaders should announce their family tree. The people who abuse Narendra Modi should show the roots of their family tree. They are the progeny of the Muslims of Junagadh.? While seeking an explanation from the two leaders, the EC has given them time till Friday noon.
It is, however, uncertain if the the poll body?s move to bring in a semblance of propriety in the election process could really produce the desired results. Despite pulling up the two leaders for violating the model code of conduct, the EC is not adequately armed to deal with such a situation. Sources in the poll panel told FE that stringent action against the leaders may not be possible since the two were not candidates. In the case of candidates, proceedings could be initiated against them to cancel their candidature.
The sources, however, indicated that if their reply was found unsatisfactory, the Commission could pursue the case further by issuing fresh showcause notices to the parties to which they belonged and seek clarifications. ?It is only in the event that their explanation is found insufficient that the EC can resort to steps like cancelling the respective party?s symbol and recognition,? a senior official told FE. While there are no exact precedence, in an earlier case, the EC had stopped the BJP from circulating CDs with alleged communal content during the Uttar Pradesh Assembly elections. However, no action was taken against after the BJP issued an apology and distanced itself from the damaging CD.
