- The poll panel was acting on a complaint made by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that Gandhi and Kejriwal made ‘false’ and ‘unverified’ statements against PM Modi.
- This is the second EC notice to Priyanka amid the ongoing Assembly elections.
- the BJP approached the EC and demanded action against the AAP for posting “very unacceptable” and “unethical” video clips and remarks on social media targeting PM Modi.
- Kejriwal was also asked to clarify his remarks by Thursday.
The Election Commission of India has served show-cause notices to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi, and Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for allegedly making false remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
The poll panel was acting on a complaint made by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) that Gandhi made “false” and “unverified” statements against Modi at an election rally in poll-bound Madhya Pradesh state. The BJP further claimed that Gandhi made a “baseless and false” claim that the Narendra Modi government had privatized public sector undertakings.
This is the second EC notice to Priyanka amid the ongoing Assembly elections. The poll panel asked her to explain her statement by 8 pm on Thursday (Nov 16).
Similarly, Kejriwal was asked to explain alleged disparaging remarks made against the PM on his social media handle. In its notice to the AAP, the EC stated, “The national convener of the Aam Aadmi Party is hereby called upon to explain the statements/allegations/averments, made in the alleged social media posts under reference, against a star campaigner of another national party and against the political party and by insinuation and innuendo against the candidates for the state elections and to show cause why appropriate action for violation of model code of conduct read with relevant election and penal laws should not be taken against you.”
Kejriwal was also asked to clarify his remarks by Thursday.
On November 10, the BJP approached the Election Commission and demanded action against the AAP for posting “very unacceptable” and “unethical” video clips and remarks on a social media platform targeting PM Modi.
The delegation comprised Union Minister Hardeep Singh Puri, party national media in-charge Rajya Sabha MP Anil Baluni, and party leader Om Pathak.
“From its official handle, the AAP has posted a video and two posts on X in which it has said very unacceptable, reprehensible, mischievous, and unethical things about the democratically elected head of the government,” Puri told reporters after raising the issue with the EC.
(With inputs from agencies)
