NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday strongly condemned the highly communal compact disc released during the Uttar Pradesh election campaign by its leader Lalji Tandon. In a statement, the BJP said the Election Commission had on May 8 asked it to come out with an unequivocal and unambiguous declaration by May 15 that it strongly condemned the CD. It said: "The party has no hesitation in doing so. In consonance with its stand that the party had suo motu taken action before notice was issued by the EC and the stand taken by it before the EC, the party categorically declares that it does not approve of the contents of the said CD. It strongly condemns the same."

The controversy arose after Mr. Tandon released the CD just ahead of the Uttar Pradesh polls. A section of the media reported that the contents of the CD, which the party planned to distribute widely as part of its campaign, were highly provocative and communal.

The BJP immediately said it had withdrawn the CD, that it was not part of the party's campaign, and that Mr. Tandon had released it inadvertently. However, party leaders continued to defend the matter in the CD, a fact that the Commission noted while demanding that the party condemn its contents.

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