The Election Commission on Wednesday slapped show-cause notices on Bharatiya Janata Party leader Dilip Ghosh and Congress leader Supriya Shrinate for their offensive remarks against West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee and Kangana Ranaut respectively.
Ranaut has been fielded by the BJP from Himachal Pradesh's Mandi Lok Sabha seat for the parliamentary elections.
Their remarks were "undignified and in bad taste", the Election Commission (EC) said.
The poll panel said that prima facie, the two remarks were violative of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and its advisory to political parties to maintain dignity during electioneering.
The MCC came into force on March 16 with the commission announcing the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections.
The two leaders have been asked to respond to the show-cause notices by March 29 evening.
The EC took action against Shrinate following a complaint by the BJP that alleged she had posted a picture of Ranaut along with "derogatory remarks" on social media platform X.
According to the EC notice, she had posted: "Kya bhav chal raha hai Mandi mein, koi batayega?"
The notice to West Bengal BJP leader Ghosh was issued after the Trinamool Congress (TMC) approached the commission.
According to the English translation of Ghosh's remark, as provided by the EC in its notice, he had said: "When Didi goes to Goa, she becomes Goa's daughter, in Tripura, she says I am Tripura's daughter, decide who is your father, this is not right."
The EC said on careful examination, the comment has been found to be offensive, insulting and prima facie, violative of the provisions of the MCC and the commission's advisory issued earlier this month.
The poll authority reminded the two leaders of the provision of the MCC which states that criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work.
"Parties and candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties. Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided."
The commission's advisory issued to the political parties regarding plummeting levels of political discourse notes that no aspect of the private life, not connected with the public activities, of the leaders or workers of other parties is to be criticised.
"Low level personal attacks to insult the rivals shall not be made. The political parties and candidates to refrain from any deeds/action/utterances that may be construed as being repugnant to the honour and dignity of women," it said.
Social media posts vilifying and insulting rivals or posts which are in bad taste or which are below dignity are not to be posted or shared, it had also pointed out.
