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The Electoral Commission also exchanged complaints between the two parties while asking for their responses until 1pm on Monday, November 18.
BJP chief JP Nadda and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge. (File)
Following the complaints of BJP and Congress against each other in the Maharashtra and Jharkhand elections, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Saturday sent separate letters to BJP President JP Nadda and Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, requesting them respectively. responses to each other’s complaints.
The Electoral Commission also exchanged complaints between the two parties while asking for their responses until 1pm on Monday, November 18.
The poll panel reminded the party president of the previous advisory issued on May 22, 2024 during the Lok Sabha Elections, which asked them to check campaigners and leaders so that common decency is not violated and the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is followed in letter and spirit during the election campaign. .
The EC’s action came after both national parties (BJP and Congress) approached the poll commission to complain about each other during their campaigns in state legislative elections in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
BJP’s complaint to EC
The BJP has complained to the poll body against Congress MP Rahul Gandhi for the “false” remarks he made during his speech. will be between the states of the Union of India… Gandhi with his confusing statement has tried to create a divide between the people of Maharashtra and Gujarat and other states.
The saffron camp further demanded an FIR against Gandhi and Kharge for making false statements.
“It is said that Shri Rahul Gandhi has made an unverified statement and has distorted the truth by stating that Apple iPhones and Boeing aircraft are being manufactured in other countries in the country at the expense of the State of Maharashtra. Through this statement, Shri Rahul Gandhi has falsely accused other countries of stealing and usurping the alleged opportunity from the State of Maharashtra,” the letter from the BJP leader said.
The party also said that Gandhi with his statement was harassing the youth of Maharashtra “which is very dangerous for the unity and integrity of the nation”.
Earlier this week, the party 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 about “making a difference between two states”.
Citing a November 6 speech by Gandhi, the BJP’s complaint to the Election Commission said they committed “violations of election laws, model code of conduct (MCC), and criminal law”.
The BJP also alleged that Congress MPs, by saying that all plum projects are being shifted from Maharashtra to Gujarat, are trying to “enrage” the youth of the state, which is “very dangerous to the unity and integrity of the nation”.
In another complaint, the BJP said some Muslim bodies were trying to spoil the poll atmosphere in Maharashtra and Jharkhand by asking community members to vote for the INDIA bloc on religious lines.
Congressional complaints to the EC
The Congress lodged a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah. In a letter to the ECI, Congress leader Jairam Ramesh said that PM Modi has leveled allegations against the current Congress leaders and claimed that they are against the interests of ST, SC and OBC communities.
“In his statement, Shri Narendra Modi leveled accusations against INC leaders and former Prime Ministers Late Jawaharlal Nehru, Late Indira Gandhi and Late Rajiv Gandhi. Mr. Modi said that INC leaders are against Scheduled Castes (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs),” read the letter.
“The tone and tenor of the entire speech is further evidence of the speaker’s intention to create and spread enmity on the basis of religion and caste,” Ramesh said in the letter.
The Congress leader also noted several other statements of PM Modi including on Article 370.
“The invocation of caste references by BJP’s Star Campaign to gain political distance is clearly a progression of BJP’s vitriolic and inciteful campaign which is intended to; (a) promote enmity between communities; (b) damage and tarnish the reputation of INC and its senior leaders; and (c) mislead general public, causing them to oppose the INC because it is against members of the SC, ST, and OBC communities,” Ramesh said.
In another complaint, the grand old party has approached the ECI regarding the BJP advertisement targeting the leaders of the JMM-Congress-RJD alliance, saying that baseless allegations and statements are being made while portraying them in a negative light with the aim of spreading a false narrative.
He said that according to the Model Code of Conduct, no political party, leader or candidate can participate in an election campaign based on false information about the opposing political party or candidate, Ramesh said.
In another complaint, the Congress said Rahul Gandhi’s helicopter stopped in poll-bound Jharkhand and sought immediate intervention to ensure a level playing field in the poll campaign. Jairam Ramesh said that Gandhi’s helicopter was not allowed to fly because of the ban which led to public meetings being postponed or cancelled.
