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The Election Commission on Saturday sought explanations from the party presidents of the BJP and the Congress - the two principal rival parties at the national level - asking them to explain the comments made by their star campaigners Amit Shah and Rahul Gandhi. The comments allegedly violate the poll code.
JP Nadda and Mallikarjun Kharge have to submit their responses by 1 am on Monday, two days before polls close for Maharashtra and Jharkhand (which will be conducting round two of polling).
The BJP had filed a complaint on November 11 against Rahul Gandhi, claiming that the Congress leader "falsely accused other states of stealing and snatching alleged opportunities from the State of Maharashtra" in a speech on November 6.
"Rahul Gandhi with his statements is inciting the youths of Maharashtra which is immensely dangerous for the unity and integrity of the nation. As only expected and in line with his typical pattern of campaigning and general conduct, Rahul Gandhi's speech was full of falsehood and lies, intending to create disaffection, enmity and ill-will between the states of Union of India. Rahul Gandhi with his misleading statement has tried to create a divide between the people of Maharashtra and Gujarat & other states," said the BJP in its complaint.
The Congress in a counter-complaint on November 13 alleged that Home Minister Amit Shah delivered a "slew of false, divisive, malicious, and slanderous statements about the Indian National Congress (INC) and its allies".
"During his speech, Amit Shah alleged that the INC and its allies were; (a) against Scheduled Caste (SC), Scheduled Tribes (ST), and Other Backward Classes (OBCs); (b) promoting terrorism in the country. In what has become a common narrative across the BJP's campaign in Jharkhand, Amit Shah has also accused the INC of planning to take away reservations from members of the ST, SC and OBC communities and granting them to members of a particular religious minority community," said the Congress in its complaint.
"The statements made by Amit Shah have been made with the sole intent of inciting voters on the grounds of religion and caste; in order to consolidate votes and inducing them into voting for the BJP by stoking communal insecurity," said the Congress.
The model code of conduct mandates that no party or candidate shall include 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 specifies that criticism of other political parties shall be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work.