EC Issues Notices to BJP, Congress Chiefs For Poll Code Allegations

New Delhi:In wake of BJP approaching Election Commission (EC) against Rahul Gandhi and Congress against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah for alleged poll code violations, election panel asked presidents of two parties on Saturday to comment on charges levelled against ir leers.

EC wrote separate letters to Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) president J P Nda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge, asking m to comment on complaints filed by or side.

commission exchanged complaints between two parties while seeking ir responses.

EC has sought formal responses from both party presidents by 1 pm on Monday (November 18), while reminding m of commission's earlier visory to m during Lok Sabha election to keep star campaigners and leers under check so that public decorum is not flouted and model code is followed in its letter and spirit during campaigning.

Top leers of two parties are campaigning in Jharkhand and Maharashtra for ongoing Assembly polls in two states.

During Lok Sabha election too, poll authority h exchanged complaints filed by two parties against or's star campaigners, including Modi, Shah, Gandhi and Kharge.

According to one of complaints filed by Congress, at election rallies in Maharashtra's Nasik and Dhule on November 8, Modi me a series of "false, malicious, and slanderous statements targeting Indian National Congress (INC) and its allies".

"In his statements, Shri Narendra Modi levelled allegations against prominent leers of INC and former prime ministers namely late Jawaharlal Nehru, late Indira Gandhi and late Rajiv Gandhi...," Congress has told EC.

It has also accused Shah of making a "slew of false, divisive, malicious and slanderous statements about Indian National Congress (INC) and its allies" at a poll rally in Jharkhand's Dhanb on November 12.

"During his speech, Mr Shah alleged that INC and its allies were against Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Or Backward Classes (OBC); promoting terrorism in country," Congress has told poll panel.

BJP has moved EC against Gandhi, leer of opposition in Lok Sabha, for alleged poll code violations during a rally in Mumbai.

It has accused Gandhi of making false claims that big international brands are opening manufacturing plants in or states at cost of Maharashtra.

saffron party has said Gandhi's remarks were false and "totally unverified to true facts".

(With PTI inputs)

It has alleged that Congress leer "distorted truth by stating that Apple 's iPhones and Boeing's airplanes are being manufactured in or Indian states at expense of Maharashtra.

"Through his statements, Shri Rahul Gandhi has falsely accused or states of stealing and snatching alleged opportunities from state of Maharashta," BJP has told EC.

"He (Gandhi) has been constantly making false, unsubstantiated, unverified and baseless allegations against BJP. His nefarious attempt to create a rift between citizens of India on basis of place, caste and religion is solely aimed to achieve electoral gains in ongoing Assembly elections in state of Maharashtra," it has alleged..