Nadda Kharge defend campaign methods seek action on complaints lodged EC

New Delhi, May 22 (PTI) BJP president J P Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge have "stoutly" defended before the Election Commission their respective party's campaigning method and utterances of their star campaigners.
     They have also sought action by the poll panel on the complaints lodged by their parties against each other during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
     Responding to the show-cause notices issued by Election Commission (EC) to them over complaints of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violations by their top leaders, Nadda and Kharge have made no "explicit denial of facts", the panel noted.
     In separate letters to Nadda and Kharge, the commission on Wednesday issued directions to the two national parties asking them not to make utterances on communal lines, not to make statements which give a false impression such as that the Constitution of India may be abolished or sold, and also not to politicise the armed forces.
     The EC also referred to the responses of the two leaders in its communication to them.
     According to the poll authority, Nadda said the statements of his party's star campaigners rely on facts to expose the "mal-intent" of the Congress to the nation.
     He told the EC that the intent of the star campaigners is to draw public attention and to expose the emerging intention and inclination of the Congress and, thus, the utterances are based completely on facts, the commission said citing Nadda's reply to it.
     Nadda then alleged that the Congress and the INDIA bloc, in pursuant of vote bank politics, have begun opposing India as a nation, its identity, its original Hindu religion, Sanatan and the fact of India being the oldest culture in the world, according to the EC.
     He also cited the fact of no clarification by INDIA bloc leaders that they hold any ill will to followers of Hinduism and Sanatan, and those who believe in Indian culture and identity, it said citing his letter.
     The EC in its communication to the BJP chief said, "Therefore, you conclude that opposing the nation and its beliefs and its identity for voter gain is not an outcome of wholesome thought and, hence, you have revealed it to the public."
     According to the commission, Nadda invoked a statement that alleges use of the term "Shakti" in a condemnable manner.
     "You then go on to explain (that) the 'Shakti' in Hindu religion to assert that those who 'oppose' 'Shakti' are committing a wholesome insult to a large number of Hindus, which is unacceptable to the BJP. Thus, in your assessment, any attempt to bring the above facts to the notice of the public can't be a violation of law or MCC," the EC said citing his reply.
     According to the EC, in his response, Congress chief Kharge attempted to list out the "repeated and more egregious violations that the BJP and its leaders continue to commit with impunity".
     Kharge attached a chart which his party has collated as an "indicative list" of "malicious statements" made despite show cause notice issued by the EC.
     Kharge alleged that a "pattern" had been planned by the BJP to adopt a "false rhetoric" to spread misinformation and fuel communal discord within society, according to the EC.
     "Each and every statement of star campaigners on behalf of the INC (Congress) are well-justified substantiating the authenticity and genuineness of speakers' statements and discredits any malafide or ill will on their part to create social tensions within society as claimed by the BJP...," Kharge wrote.

(This story has not been edited by THE WEEK and is auto-generated from PTI)