The Congress and BJP moved the Election Commission on Monday, demanding action against senior leadership of each other.
The Congress urged the EC to initiate action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his "redistribution of wealth" remarks made in Rajasthan, alleging that they were "divisive", "malicious" and targeted a particular religious community.
Modi had said during an election rally: "The Congress shahzade (prince) says if his government comes, they will investigate who earns how much and how much property they have. Not only this, he further says the government will take over the property and redistribute it. This is what their election manifesto is saying. Just think, our mothers and daughters have gold. This is stridhan' (women's property). It is considered sacred, even the law protects it. But now they are eyeing a change in law and snatching the property of our mothers and sisters."
A delegation of Congress leaders met the top brass of the EC in Delhi and handed over the complaint against Modi, claiming that he has trampled upon and violated the model code and directions of the poll body.
"While we have objections to the entire tone and tenor of the prime minister's speech, in this representation we wish to highlight the completely unprecedented and malicious allegations as well statements which are clearly aimed at creating enmity between groups, far worse than any ever made by a sitting prime minister in the history of India. This cannot go unchecked, unanswered and unpunished," the letter to EC read.
"Our PM had given a speech in Rajasthan, which targets a particular community which may snatch our national resources. That community is linked with infiltrators. His allegations about an attack on Mangalsutras, is again a religious link. It is a blatant violation of ECI circular," Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi has been quoted as saying after meeting the EC.
BJP's complaint against Rahul Gandhi
Meanwhile, the saffron party filed a complaint against Rahul Gandhi with EC, claiming that the Congress leader hatched a conspiracy a to cause North-South rift.
“Today we have complained to the Election Commission about the way Rahul Gandhi is constantly conspiring to make the country fight in the name of language and province. This time, Congress has hatched a conspiracy to make the country fight by creating a rift between North and South,” news agency ANI quoted party leader Tarun Chugh as saying.
“In his speeches, he has made every effort to make North and South fight. The country is progressing but Rahul Gandhi is talking about dividing the country into pieces. We have complained about this in writing and demanded strict action," he added.
