Priyank's controversial remarks came just days after his father Mallikarjun Kharge likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a 'poisonous snake'. The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday issued a show-cause notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge's son Priyank, who recently called Prime Minister Narendra Modi a "nalayak beta" (useless son). The notice to Kharge comes days after the BJP filed a complaint to the EC.
"The commission is prima facie of the opinion that you have violated the provision of MCC (Model Code of Conduct) by making the said statement," the EC said. "Now, therefore, you are hereby called upon to show cause by 17:00 hrs of 04.05.2023 as to why appropriate action for violation of Model Code of Conduct should not be taken against you."
The commission has also issued the notice to BJP MLA and star campaigner Basanagouda R Patil (Yatnal) for making a personal attack remark against a rival party leader.
Earlier this week, Priyank, while addressing a gathering in Karnataka, referred to PM Modi's recent visit to Kalaburgi and said he created problems for the Banjara community.
"You (PM Modi) told them the son of Banaras is sitting in Delhi. How do we run a household with such a nalayak beta? After saying he is the son of the Banjara community, he created problems for the Banjara community," Kharge, who is the sitting MLA from Chittapur, said.
Priyank's controversial remarks came just days after his father Mallikarjun Kharge likened Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a 'poisonous snake'. Kharge, however, apologised for his remarks.
BJP's IT cell head Amit Malviya reacted sharply to Priyank's remarks and said he should focus on defending his seat and not punch above his weight. "What would Priyank Kharge be doing if he wasn't Mallikarjun Kharge's son? It is anybody’s guess! It is quite rich for someone, who is feeding off his father’s name, to call a democratically elected PM ‘nalayak’. It is fine to disagree with the PM, criticise him, but calling him names shows a depraved mind," he said.