BJP complains to EC against Rahul, seeks derecognition of Cong

Accusing Rahul Gandhi and the Congress of flouting the Model Code of Conduct, the Bharatiya Janata Party on Sunday complained to the Election Commission over his remarks linking the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh to Mahatma Gandhi's killing and sought action against the Congress vice president and derecognition of the party.

In a memorandum to Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, the BJP charged Gandhi and his party with being "habitual offenders" of the poll code and flaring up communal tension ahead of elections.

"It is prayed that appropriate action may kindly be taken against the Indian National Congress as well as Rahul Gandhi, member of Parliament and vice president, Indian National Congress for violating the Model Code of Conduct and the recognition of Indian National Congress as a National Party may kindly be withdrawn immediately for repeated violations of the Model Code of Conduct," it said.

BJP Vice President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the entire tone and tenor of Gandhi's speech was to incite the feelings of the people and create hatred towards the BJP as well as the RSS.

He said his statement makes it clear the aim is to put across absolutely false and baseless notions in the minds of the people that the BJP creates confrontation and enmity between Hindus and Muslims as well as amongst other communities and regions.

"Rahul’s intention of was to incite the feelings of the people by falsely portraying the RSS to be responsible for his (Mahatma Gandhi's) death and further create a sense of fear amongst the Hindus, Muslims and other communities that the BJP will create tensions between them," Naqvi said in the memorandum.

He said the statements of Gandhi "are not only false, disgraceful, condemnable, baseless but also an utter violation of the Model Code of Conduct as well as established democratic practices". "It is an attempt to mislead the people of the country by character assassination of the BJP, the RSS and its members, based on completely false and baseless allegations and propaganda," he said.