BJP wants Election Commission to discuss Rahul Gandhi's reply to their complaint

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi on Monday said that the party has asked the Election Commission (EC) to discuss with them the reply of Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, after he was issued a notice on a complaint of alleged violation of model code of conduct.

“The way Rahul Gandhi tried to spread the communal tension, we complained to the Election Commission, and they sent him a notice. We have asked the Election Commission to discuss this matter with us, after Rahul Gandhi’s reply. He has violated the model of code of conduct. The Congress has a history of violating the norms of Election Commission,” he said.

Earlier in the day, Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi sought one more week's time to reply to the Election Commission's notice on a complaint of alleged violation of model code of conduct.

The Election Commission has issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi for his speeches in Churu, Rajasthan on October 23 and Indore, Madhya Pradesh on October 24.

The poll body had asked Gandhi to explain by Monday why action should not be initiated against him for prima facie violating the Model Code of Conduct.

The Election Commission notice also says that in case no reply is received within the prescribed time limit it will be presumed that he has nothing to say and the commission will proceed to take appropriate action without any further reference.

The BJP had complained to the poll body in this regard, saying that Gandhi had falsely blamed the party for communal violence in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh.

In its complaint, the BJP said that the Congress Vice-President’s remarks violate the Model Code of Conduct for elections.

The BJP’s complaint to the poll panel also included Gandhi’s allegation during a rally in Indore that Pakistani agencies were trying to reach out to young Muslims whose families had been affected by the Muzaffarnagar violence.