The Congress on Wednesday officially complained to the Election Commission against Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma accusing them of violating the model code of conduct (MCC) while campaigning for the Chhattisgarh Assembly poll.
The party also alleged misuse of official machinery in Telangana, and complained against Madhya Pradesh Transport and Revenue Minister Gopal Singh Rajput as well.
In Telangana, the party alleged, election duties are being assigned to officers who publicly support a specific political party. As regards Mr. Rajput, the party said he had violated the MCC by promising ₹25 lakh to booth in-charges who ensure that the Congress doesn’t get enough votes in booths under them.
In another complaint, the Congress also raised the issue of Central government issuing orders allegedly directing civil servants and Army soldiers to promote achievements of the BJP dispensation.
A delegation of party leaders met the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) and other Election Commissioners and submitted eight different memoranda of poll code violations in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Telangana.
The delegation comprised AICC general secretary in-charge communications Jairam Ramesh, party leader Salman Khurshid, AICC State in-charge for Telangana Manikrao Thakre, Telangana Pradesh Congress Committee (TPCC) chief Revanth Reddy, former TPCC chief Uttam Kumar Reddy and CLP leader (Telangana Assembly) Bhatti Vikramarka.
‘Blatant violation’
In its complaint against Mr. Shah, the Congress told the EC that the Home Minister claimed in a speech in Chhattisgarh’s Rajnandgaon on October 16 that “...Bhupesh Baghel’s government, for appeasement politics and vote bank politics, lynched Chhattisgarh’s son Bhuneshwar Sahoo and got him killed...” Further, pledging to bring the killers to justice, Mr. Shah said “in his honour, we are fielding his father Ishwar Sahoo as a candidate in the elections”, the complaint stated.
The Congress alleged that these statements and claims are in blatant violation of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
A complaint against the Assam Chief Minister pertained to his speech in Chhattisgarh’s Kawardha on October 18 where Mr. Sarma had targeted Congress candidate Mohd Akbar. In his speech, the Congress alleged, Mr. Sarma said, “If one Akbar comes to some place, he calls 100 Akbars. So, send him off as soon as possible, otherwise the land of Mata Kaushalya will get defiled.”
Mr. Sarma subsequently levelled allegations against Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel, saying: “Today, the tribals of Chhattisgarh, who are dear to us, are being encouraged to convert their religion on a daily basis. And when someone raises their voice against it, Bhupesh Baghelji says ‘we are secular’. Is beating up Hindus your secularism? This country is a country of Hindus and will belong to Hindus. Do not teach us secularism, we do not need to learn secularism from you.” These statements, the Congress said, were aimed at inciting one section of society against one another.
