Election Commission issues notice to Narendra Modi for ’khooni panja’ remarks

Mangalore Today News Network

New Delhi, Nov 13, 2013: Narendra Modi and Rahul Gandhi were both rapped on the knuckles by the Election Commission on Wednesday. The commission has served a notice to Mr Modi for his comment against rival Congress during a rally in Chhattisgarh last week, where he referred to a "khooni panja" or bloody hand.

To Mr Gandhi, the Congress’ number 2, the panel has said it is dissatisfied with his reply to a similar notice issued to him for alleged violation of the moral code of conduct. It also advised Mr Gandhi to be "more circumspect in public utterances during election campaign."

On Thursday last, Mr Modi had said at a rally in Dongargarh, "Yadi aap chahte hain ki Chattisgarh ke upar kisi khooni panje ka saya na pade to aap sabhi kamal mein button dabana aur. Chhattisgarh ko khooni panje se bachana (If you want to save Chhattisgarh from the bloody hand, vote for the lotus)."

The Election Commission has said that Mr Modi prime facie violated its moral code of conduct and has asked him to explain his comment by Saturday, November 16.

"In our understanding there has been no violation of code of conduct. Party will reply in detail to the Election Commission’s notice," BJP spokesperson Nirmala Sitaraman said.

The lotus is the election symbol of the BJP, which rules Chhattisgarh, where Assembly elections are being held in two phases this month.

The Congress’ election symbol is the hand; the party had complained to the Election Commission that "the use of the expression ’khooni panja’ is extremely significant and deplorable and has an effect of terrorising the public at large against Congress."

Earlier this month, it was the BJP that had complained to the Election Commission about Mr Gandhi’s comment that Pakistani intelligence agency ISI was in touch with some victims of the September communal riots in Muzaffarnagar.

In his reply last week to the Commission’s notice, Mr Gandhi said he had not violated the moral code of conduct.

Courtesy: NDTV