The Election Commission of India has issued a notice to BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj to show cause why action should not be taken against him for his controversial remarks indirectly blaming Muslims for the population growth. The EC has held the BJP MP has prima facie he violated the model code of conduct.
Sakshi Maharaj has been given time by Wednesday morning to file his reply to the notice. The ECI action comes two days after the MP was booked by police for allegedly hurting religious feelings, days after the Supreme Court outlawed seeking votes in the name of religion or caste. The ECI in the notice issued on Monday evening said prima facie the MP from Unnao in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh has violated the model code which came into force on January 4 following announcement of assembly polls in five States, including Uttar Pradesh.
“The Commission is prima facie of the opinion that you have violated the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and also willfully disobeyed the order of the Hon’ble Supreme Court my making the impugned statements. The statement which if read in entirely have the effect of promoting enmity between classes of society in connenctions with elections on the grounds of religion..” the notice read.
According to PTI, Maharaj while acknowledging that he received the notice on Tuesday indicated he needed more time to respond to it and claimed that he had not said anything for which he was liable to be served the notice. Maharaj said he received the notice only today and that too in English. “Since I don’t have the knowledge of English, I have asked my office to request the ECI to serve me the Hindi version of the notice. I will be able to understand the content of the notice only after it is translated into Hindi,” said Maharaj while responding to a query pertaining to ECI notice served to him.
“I haven’t said anything for which I am liable to be served the notice. Neither did I ask for votes, nor did I say anything which conveys so. I didn’t name any community. I only said that the population growth rate should be restricted in the country. Why should any particular community relate to my commentsIJ” he said.
Speaking at a ‘sant sammelan’ in Meerut last week, Maharaj had said, “Desh mein samasyaein khadi ho rahi hain jansankhya ke karan. Uske liye Hindu zimmedar nahin hain Zimmedar toh wo hain jo chaar biwion aur chalees bachchon ki baatein karte hain.” (There are problems in the country because of the growth of population. Hindus are not responsible for that. Those responsible are the ones who talk of four wives and 40 children.) The BJP MP’s remarks come days after the Supreme Court ruled that political parties and candidates can’t seek votes in the name of religion or caste and ahead of the first phase of polling in Uttar Pradesh on February 11. He also came in for sharp condemnation from Opposition parties.
Meerut police also filed an FIR against Sakshi Maharaj on Saturday under IPC sections 298 (Uttering, words, etc., with deliberate intent to wound the religious feelings of any person), 188 (Disobedience to order duly promulgated by public servant), 295A (Deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class) and 153b (Imputations, assertions prejudicial to national- integration) among others.