Criticism of Akbar 'legitimate': Himanta Biswa after ECI's show-cause notice
What's the story
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma responded on Friday to the Congress's complaint to the Election Commission of India (ECI) about his recent remark targeting Chhattisgarh minister Mohammad Akbar.
Taking to X, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader alleged that "Congress has withheld the material information from the Hon'ble Election Commission that Mohammed Akbar is their candidate from Kawardha Constituency."
Details
Congress will have to face legal consequences: Assam CM
Furthermore, Sarma claimed that his criticism is "legitimate" and does not "amount to communal politics."
"Congress will have to face the legal consequence of not revealing this crucial fact in their representation. I have full faith in the collection wisdom of the Hon'ble Election Commission," added the BJP leader.
The ECI has asked Sarma to respond by 5:00pm on Monday for attacking the lone Muslim minister.
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Know about Sarma's controversial 'Akbar' remark
During an address in Chhattisgarh's Kawardha on October 18, Sarma took a controversial jab at Akbar, stating, "The land of Mata Kaushalya will get defiled if Akbar isn't sent off."
"If one Akbar comes to some place, he calls 100 Akbars. So, send him off as soon as possible, otherwise the land of Mata Kaushalya will get defiled," PTI quoted the Assam CM as saying.
Insights
Sarma violated model code of conduct: Congress
On Wednesday, a delegation of Congress leaders met with the chief election commissioner and other election commissioners and filed a complaint against him.
In its complaint, the grand old party alleged that the BJP leader's comments were intended to provoke sections of society against one another.
It also flagged eight different memorandums of poll code violations in Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, and Telangana.
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ECI's notice to Assam CM
In response, the ECI issued a show cause to the BJP leader.
The commission said that no party or candidate shall engage in any activity that could exacerbate existing differences, incite mutual hatred, or create tension between different castes and communities, whether religious or linguistic.
"Further, criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and program, past record and work," it added.
Shah
Congress files complaint against Amit Shah
The Congress also filed a complaint against Union Home Minister Amit Shah for his speech in Rajnandgaon, Chhattisgarh, on October 16.
In his address, Shah claimed that CM Bhupesh Baghel's government lynched and murdered Chhattisgarh's son, Bhuneshwar Sahoo, for appeasement and vote bank politics.
The party claimed that these statements and claims violated the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Representation of the People Act of 1951.