Congress wants EC to take note of BJP’s use of ‘one issue’ to seek votes

After the Congress leadership skipped attending the January 22 consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple, the BJP has been portraying the Congress as an ‘anti-Hindu’ party.

Senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh. File | Photo Credit: Sushil Kumar Verma

The Congress on Friday accused the BJP of using “one particular issue” on social media to attract voters, and urged the Election Commission (EC) to take note of it.

“The BJP is using one particular issue on social media as an appeal to voters. This is a flagrant and blatant violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct, and also of numerous judgments of the Supreme Court,” Congress general secretary (communication) Jairam Ramesh said in a post on the social media platform X (formerly Twitter).

Mr. Ramesh did not specify what the “issue” was, but other informed leaders, who did not want to be quoted, claimed that the BJP has been using the matter of Ayodhya’s Ram Temple to seek votes. The Congress has neither officially identified the issue nor lodged any complaint with the EC.

On Friday, the official X handle of BJP’s Bihar unit put out a post that read, “If you are going to vote, remember this. Who built the temple for Lord Ram?”

After the Congress leadership skipped attending the January 22 consecration ceremony of the Ram Temple, the BJP has been portraying the Congress as an “anti-Hindu” party.

“We hope that the @ECISVEEP will take immediate note and put a stop to such appeals,” Mr. Ramesh tweeted, tagging EC’s X handle.