The Congress has alleged that Prime Minister Narendra Modi violated the model code of conduct by holding a roadshow in Varanasi without the permission of the poll authorities and asked the Election Commission to file an FIR against him and other senior BJP leaders.
The party will also approach the poll watchdog questioning poll ethics prtaining to the presence of BHU Vice-Chancellor Girish Chandra Tripathi.
In a letter to the EC, the party alleged that Modi took out the road show in Varanasi from BHU (Banaras Hindu University) "without the necessary permission from the competent authority". Interestingly, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Akhilesh Yadav and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi too held a road shown in the city which also led to clash between the party workers of BJP and Congress-SP combine. "It is requested that action may be taken and FIR registered against all BJP leaders including Narendra Modi who were part of the road show," said KC Mittal, AICC secretary incharge of legal and human rights cell.
The Opposition party said the entire video recording of the road show has been shown by various channels and election authorities must also have recorded the same. Mittal said the road show covers three assembly seats of Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt and Varanasi North and Modi also visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Kaal Bhairo Temple during the event. "All this was done without any requisite permission for conducting the road show from the competent authority of the Election Commission," Mittal said.
His road show was held on a day when 49 constituencies went to polls in the sixth phase of UP Assembly elections and people in large numbers turned out as Modi's cavalcade moved at a snail's pace.
On the other hand, the party is gathering manuals to check the veracity of presence of BHU V-C and several of his staff at PM's road show. Tripathi is close to the RSS.