The Bharatiya Janata Party on Wednesday petitioned the Election Commission to derecognise the Congress as a national party for what it has described as "repeated violations" of the model code of conduct. The party has also complained that Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi, despite the EC's rap has not refrained from making speeches that it considers "inflammatory".
Seeking action against the Congress party, the BJP in its petition to the EC said the party "has neither disassociated itself from the earlier statements of Mr. Gandhi nor from his later statements. On the contrary, the Congress has actively endorsed all his above speeches by publishing them on its official website and social web pages. Therefore, it has also further violated the model code of conduct and, therefore, is also liable to be proceeded against under Para 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968 and its recognition as a national party is liable to be withdrawn immediately."
The BJP has also accused Mr. Gandhi of making "false and baseless allegations" against it and of making "utterances, which can create hatred against the BJP in the minds of the people", it has cited Mr. Gandhi's speech at Khaisa in Chhattisgarh on November 16 as an example.
Attacking the Congress vice-president for casting aspersions on the BJP’s involvement in the killing of former Chhattisgarh Congress chief Nand Kumar Patel, the party in its petition to the EC has said that Mr. Gandhi's speech was made in the same constituency from where the Nand Kumar Patel's son is contesting polls.
"A bare reading of the statements makes it clear that they were aimed at putting a false and baseless notion in the minds of the people that the BJP is responsible for the killing of Nand Kumar Patel, who was in fact killed by Naxalites in an attack on his convoy on May 25."
The party has also taken exception to Mr. Gandhi's statement describing the BJP and its members as "chor" (thieves), calling it "disgraceful, condemnable, baseless and utter violation of the model code of conduct as well as established democratic practices".
The BJP also petitioned the election watchdog against the Congress for violating the model code of conduct by publishing "objectionable advertisements” in Madhya Pradesh, which shows a silhouetted photograph of Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi with printed phrase 'Prof. Feku'.
