Alleging that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi was seeking votes in the name of religion and violating the model code of conduct by linking his party symbol “Hand” with prominent religious figures of various religions, the BJP on Tuesday demanded that the Election Commission freeze the election symbol of Congress and bar it from contesting polls.
The BJP submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission where it quoted Rahul’s speech of January 11 as also Supreme Court order that recently declared “illegal” parties seeking vote in the name of religion.
A BJP delegation comprising Union ministers Prakash Javadekar and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and party office-bearers Bhupender Yadav, Anil Jain and Sidharth Nath Singh lodged the complaint with the Commission against Rahuland sought freezing of the symbol.
“The grand old party Congress’ grand new leader has tried to give communal colour to the elections by his statement in which he co-related the Congress’ ‘hand’ with various religious figures. This is a clear cut case of corrupt practice. There should be action against both Congress and its leader,” Naqvi told newspersons after filing complaint with the Commission.
At Congress’ ‘Jan Vedna Sammelan’ on January 11, Rahul had made comments co-relating his party’s symbol ‘hand’ with religious gods, violating the provisions of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, model code of conduct and the guidelines issued by the Supreme Court, the BJP said.
“We have requested the Election Commission that Congress party’s election symbol should be frozen,” Javedkar said.
He said that as soon as the schedule for Assembly elections in five states were declared, the Congress has started raising communal tension and seeking votes on the basis of religion.
The party asked the commission to withdraw the recognition of the Congress from contesting elections “and any other action under law”. It attacked a CD of Rahul’s speech for the Commission.