Rahul Gandhi responds to EC notice, denies violating model code

The EC had issued a notice to Gandhi on October 31 for his speeches in which he had said Pakistan's ISI was in touch with Muzaffarnagar riot victims and charged BJP with indulging in politics of hatred.

Gandhi, who was earlier asked to reply to EC by November 4, had sought one more week's time to reply to the notice served on him.

The Commission, after examining Gandhi's speeches made in Churu and Indore, had asked him to explain why action should not be initiated against him for prima facie violating the Model Code of Conduct.

"The Commission is prima facie of the view that your aforesaid speeches are violative of above-referred sub paras (1), (2) and (3) of Para 1 of the Model Code of Conduct for political parties and candidates," the EC notice served on him had said. Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh are among five states which go to Assembly polls in November-December this year.

The model code prescribes that "no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic". It also states that "criticism of other political parties...based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided" and that "there shall be no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes".

BJP had complained to the Commission seeking action against Gandhi for allegedly violating the code of conduct by appealing for votes on communal lines and inciting hatred among different communities.

The opposition party had handed over a memorandum to the Chief Election Commissioner, seeking withdrawal of recognition given to Congress as a national party and also demanding action against the party's Vice President for violating the code.

Citing excerpts from Gandhi's speech made in Churu in Rajasthan, BJP had said its tone and tenor was to incite communal hatred and tension between Hindus-Sikhs and Hindus-Muslims and make an appeal for votes in favour of Congress on the basis of communal sentiments. In Indore, Gandhi had, in his speech, claimed that intelligence agencies in Pakistan were approaching some victims of Muzaffarnagar riots to lure them to terrorism.

"BJP felt that unless there is a Hindu versus Muslim situation in Uttar Pradesh, they would not do well. So, they set this fire," Gandhi had alleged, adding it was Congress which had "doused the fire". Gandhi had claimed the intelligence official told him he was convincing the youngsters to stay away from the influence of Pakistani operatives.

"They (BJP) have set this fire, now who will douse it? Wherever they go, they set this fire thinking they will benefit in the elections. But they don't see that it damages the country," the Congress leader had said.