The Congress chief, Mallikarjun Kharge, has been asked by the Election Commission to explain a tweet in which he claimed that his predecessor, Sonia Gandhi, made a statement on sovereignty in a speech in Karnataka. The electoral body was given guidelines after the BJP complained that any mention of a state's sovereignty amounted to a call for secession.
On May 6, Congress quoted Mrs. Gandhi in a tweet "The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka's reputation, sovereignty or integrity,"
The post sparked a furious response from the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who in his final campaign rally prior to the May 10 Karnataka polls accused the Congress of openly seeking to "separate" Karnataka from India. He had stated that the Gandhis were "working against India's interests" and that the "tukde-tukde gang" had broken into the highest levels of Congress.
The BJP complained to the Election Commission and asked them to take measures against Mrs. Gandhi and the Congress.
The poll panel mentioned BJP's claims, including the one in which it claimed the Congress tweet is "violative of the mandatory oath undertaken by the political parties under section 29A (5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951".
"In view of the above, you are requested to clarify and take rectification measures in respect of the social media post which has been put up on the INC Twitter handle and attributed to Chairperson CPP," the Election Commission said.
© Copyright 2023. All Rights Reserved Powered by Vygr Media.
