Congress to EC: Amit Shah spread lies, violated code of conduct in Telangana; serve him notice

A delegation of the Congress  party comprising senior leader  Kapil Sibal, Chief of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee (MPCC) Kamal Nath and head of the Congress legal cell, Vivek Tankha met Election Commission on Tuesday, December 4 demanding probe against the BJP National President Amit Shah for violation of the model code of conduct in Telangana.

Congress leaders handed over a memorandum to the poll panel on the issue also.

Blaming Shah for the “blatant and egregious violation of the model code of conduct,” the Congress leaders told the EC that the BJP president had deliberately made a false statement about Congress’ poll promises in order to polarise the voters in the poll bound state.

The Congress delegation led by former Union Ministers Kapil Sibal and Kamal Nath submitted a memorandum to the Election Commission, including video evidence of the four incidents, that occurred respectively in Sagar, Bhopal, Satna and Shajapur districts.

As per Congress claims, while campaigning in Amangal (Ranga Reddy district) Amit Shah on December 2, stated that the Congress party will give free electricity to the mosque and churches if voted to the power, which is not true.

Mentioning a portion of Shah speech in the memorandum, Congress said in order to advance his political agenda, the BJP president had deliberately spread lies about Congress poll promises. According to the Congress Shah said in his Amangal rally :

“The Congress also speaks about the reservation for the minorities in government contracts. It also talks about the separate hospitals for the minorities. I want to ask (Congress President) Rahul Gandhi, what would be the fate of the poor people who do not belong to the minority communities.”

Refuting this statement by Shah, Congress said the party has not made any such promise. The party manifesto is available in public and it can be cross checked, emphasised the Congress leaders.

Section 123 (3) and (3A) of the Representation of Peoples Act-1951 treats “The promotion of, or attempt to promote, feeling of enmity or hatred between different classes of citizens of India on grounds of religion etc” as corrupt practice.

By his malicious act intended to outrage religious feelings, the BJP president has violated section 295 (A) of the Indian Penal code also, said the Congress. Congress leaders demanded that the BJP national president be served with a notice by the poll panel.

Talking to media outside the Nirvachan Sadan, senior leader Kapil Sibal said that the party has also raised the issue of the arrest of the Telangana Congress President Revanth Reddy with the poll panel.

“Revanth Reddy was arrested at 3 am in the night. He was not even told why he was arrested (by the KCR government).  In the time of election, the arrest of the state Congress leader suggests that it was done to impede Congress party’s campaign,” said Sibal.

"A number of incidents in various districts of MP have been reported demonstrating the ruling BJP in collusion with local administration tried to tamper/replace the EVMs used in the districts of Sagar , Bhopal, Satna, Shajapur and districts," the Congress said in the memorandum.

Citing the incident in Sagar where EVMs were transported in a vehicle without a registration number and reaching the collection centre 48 hours after the voting ended in the state, the Congress demanded a probe into all the EVMs to ascertain which authority directed the transport of the EVMs and whether any "foreign chip or any external device or component has been attached to the EVMs".

It also demanded a probe into an EVM strong room facing blackout in Bhopal on November 30 with CCTVs not working during the blackout. You can watch the Congress leaders addressing the media here.

With inputs from IANS