Maharashtra: BJP moves EC over Rahul Gandhi’s ’lies’ – ‘censure and restrain him from…’

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has written to Election Commission of India (ECI) seeking an FIR against Congress President, Mallikarjun Kharge and Leader of Opposition in Lok Sabha, Rahul Gandhi for a “continued unsubstantiated, malicious and slanderous campaign" against the saffron party during campaigning in poll-bound Maharashtra.

This, the complaint said, is in "complete disregard of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and applicable electoral laws.” 

The BJP has requested the poll panel to “reprimand, censure and restrain Rahul Gandhi from handing of lies” during the remaining . The saffron party has also sought registration of an FIR against Kharge and Gandhi in this matter. All 288 seats of Maharashtra votes in single phase on November 20.

“We wish to bring to your notice the gross violation, of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and other electoral and penal laws, by Shri Rahul Gandhi of Indian National Congress, while the MCC was enforced effective 15th October 2024 in the state of Maharashtra,” the complaint reads.

The saffron party's complaint comes a day after Congress filed a complaint with the Election Commission against advertisement campaign of the BJP in Jharkhand where first phase of voting is scheduled for November 13.

The complaint cites November 6, 2024 speech of Rahul Gandhi in Mahrashtra in which he has allegedly said that the BJP and RSS intend to ‘erase’ the constitution of India. As mentioned in the complaint, Rahul Gandhi said in his address that one has to be a member of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh(RSS), the ideological mentor of the BJP, to become the vice chancellor of Universities, regardless of other qualifications.

"We told them Leader of the Opposition Rahul Gandhi spoke lies in Maharashtra... he said BJP wants to crush the Constitution," Union Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal, who led the saffron party delegation that met top election officials, was quoted as saying in an NDTV report.

The complaint alleges that Gandhi has been "constantly making the false, unsubstantiated, unverified and baseless allegations" against the BJP.

"His nefarious attempt to create a rift between the citizens on the bases of place, caste and religion is solely aimed to achieve the electoral gains in the ongoing assembly elections in the state of Maharashtra," it reads.

The complaint calls Rahul Gandhi's claims such as "Apple's iPhones and Boeing's airplanes are being manufactured in other states at the expense of Maharashtra" as unsubstantiated and unverified. The BJP said in the complaint that Rahul Gandhi made such statements even after being served a notice.

"Rahul Gandhi, with his statements, is inciting youth of Maharashtra, which is immensely dangerous," the complaint says.