EC issues show-cause notice to Congress chief's son Priyank Kharge for remarks against PM Modi

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Wednesday issued show-cause notices to Congress candidate from Karnataka’s Chittapur assembly constituency Priyank Kharge over his ‘nalayak’ jibe at Prime minister Narendra Modi and to the BJP candidate from Bijapur City Basanagouda R Patil over his ‘vishkanya’ remark directed at former Congress president Sonia Gandhi.
The notices – which ask the respondents to reply by Thursday 5 pm as to why action should not be taken against them for violation of provisions of the model code – come a day after EC issued an advisory to all recognised parties, candidates and star campaigners, asking them to exercise restraint in their utterances in view of “the plummeting level of campaign discourse” in poll-bound Karnataka.
EC, in separate notices sent to Patil and Priyank on Wednesday, drew attention to provisions of the model code of conduct that restrain campaigners from attacking personal life or making malicious or offending statements about rivals (para 3.8.2), or that may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred (para 4.3.1). Also, the notices cite Para 4.3.3 that requires candidates and parties to maintain a high standard of election campaign and enables EC to put the parties on notice that repeated violations of model code may invite action.
“The Commission through various media reports noted that a personal attack remark against a rival party leader was found to be made by Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) while delivering a speech at an election rally in Yalaburga, Koppal district on 28.04.2023,” EC stated in its notice to Patil. It recalled his question that “Your party on whose persona you are dancing, is Sonia Gandhi a vishkanya”. Not only this, Patil had also alleged that Sonia was an agent of China and Pakistan.
In its notice to Priyank Kharge, who is also the son of Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, EC pointed to his speech dated April 30, at a public meeting in Kalburgi, wherein he had described PM Modi as a “nalayak” (useless) son. The BJP had moved EC on Tuesday seeking action against Priyank for using “abusive” language against the PM.
Stating that it was prima facie of the opinion that both Patil and Priyank had violated provisions of the model code of conduct, EC on Wednesday asked both to file their respective replies by 5 pm Thursday. It added that in the absence of any reply by the deadline, appropriate action or decision in the matter would be taken by the poll panel without making any further reference to the respondents.