Taking cognisance of BJP leader Amit Shah’s controversial remarks calling Azamgarh “a base of terrorists”, the Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday said it has sought a detailed report and a CD of his statement.
The EC said it will take any further action after examining the CD and the report to be provided by the district poll authorities.
Asked whether the poll body has taken cognisance of Narendra Modi’s alleged “derogatory” remarks made at an election rally in Domariyaganj in U.P. on Tuesday, Deputy Election Commissioner Vinod Zutshi said the poll body has a system of collecting information from concerned authorities.
“After getting the report from the district election officer, we will examine it,” he said.
Mr. Shah, who is a close aide on Narendra Modi and BJP’s in-charge for Uttar Pradesh, had on Sunday said that Azamgarh has turned into a base of terrorists as there is no fear of the State government, which is advocating their release. He also said that accused in Gujarat bomb blast cases were from Azamgarh.
“We have asked for the report and the CD and once it is examined by the Commission, we will accordingly take action,” Mr. Zutshi told reporters here.
Mr. Shah was recently barred by the EC from campaigning in U.P. after his controversial “revenge” remarks.
On April 11, it had ordered the U.P. government to ban Mr. Shah and UP minister Azam Khan from campaigning in the State following their controversial remarks.
Mr. Shah had landed in a major controversy for his remarks that the general election was an opportunity to seek “revenge for the insult” inflicted during the riots in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh last year.
But after his written undertaking that he will not use abusive or derogatory language in the campaign and shall not make any utterances violative of model code of conduct, the ban was lifted.
