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In controversial remarks, AAP leader Shazia Ilmi has said that Muslims’ votes split as they were “too secular” and they “should become communal” and vote keeping in mind “our own interest”.

“Don’t be much secular. Muslims are too secular and they should become communal. They are not communal and do not vote for themselves. Arvind Kejriwal is ours. Muslims have remained secular for long…Have voted for the Congress and helped them win. Don’t be so secular and look at your house (community) this time.

The Election Commission on Tuesday, banned the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Giriraj Singh from campaigning in Bihar and Jharkhand for his highly inflammatory speeches.

In its directive to the Chief Secretaries of both the states, the commission asked them not to allow him to hold rallies, public meetings, road shows and take all preventive measures to restrain him.

Maharashtra Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan today accused BJP’s prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi of “lowering” the standard of political discourse in the country like never before by resorting to unprecedented “vicious personal criticism”.

The kind of “negative and abusive” language used by Modi throughout his campaign is unprecedented as no national leader in the country’s electoral politics used such language, addressing a press conference, Chavan said.

Punjab Congress chief Partap Singh Bajwa today said BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi had no magic wand to lift the sinking fortunes of Akali Dal-BJP candidates in Lok Sabha polls in the state.

Bajwa, seeking re-election from Gurdaspur Lok Sabha constituency, said the SAD-BJP would be wiped out in the polls in Punjab due to an “anti-incumbency” wave against the state government.

Modi had no magic wand to reverse this situation, he said.

The Election CommissionTuesday issued a notice to BJP leader Giriraj Singh for his remark that critics and opponents of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi are “pro-Pakistan” and the neighbouring country is the place for those opposing him.

Holding that Giriraj Singh had violated the model code of conduct by making the remarks, the commission gave him time till April 24 to explain his stand.

BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi Tuesday ruled out aligning with Sharad Pawar’s NCP or Lalu Prasad’s RJD after the national elections.

“No, no no… there is no such thing (political alignment with Pawar). As far as friendship is concerned, you would be surprised to know that I am friends with Laluji. We exist in a social setup, but we need to take individual stands due to our political ideologies,” the Bharatiya Janata Party leader said at an interaction with editors of ABP News, on being asked whether he would ally with Pawar’s Nationalist Congress Party.

The AAP Tuesday sought action against a BJP legislator from Varanasi, accusing her of giving “hate speech” in the presence of senior party leader Amit Shah.

Aam Aadmi Party’s campaign manager from Varanasi, Gopal Mohan has submitted a two-page letter to Uttar Pradesh’s chief electoral officer, Umesh Sinha, accusing Jyotsana Srivastava, a legislator from Varanasi Cantt. of directing BJP workers to stop AAP volunteers from entering people’s houses.

Congress on Tuesday dragged the names of RSS, BJP and an election agent of former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee in the 1984 anti-Sikh riots and hit out at BJP-SAD combine for politicising the issue for electoral gains in Lok Sabha polls.

“The names of many people had figured in the 1984 riots. Many leaders of RSS, BJP, Congress and various organisations were made accused in the case.

Leaders of BJP, RSS and an election agent of Atal Bihari Vajpayee had also come under the lens of investigation besides some workers of Congress.

Terming Rahul Gandhi as unaccessible, Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday said people should vote for his party candidate Kumar Vishwas who was “easily available” to them.

“Amethi MP and Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi is unapproachable for you, but AAP leader Kumar Vishwas is easily available whenever you want,” Kejriwal said while holding roadshows in Parshadepur, Salon and Suchi in the constituency.

“So it is necessary for you to defeat Rahul from Amethi to teach him a lesson,” he said.

Narendra Modi Tuesday said he would reach out to Muslim “brothers” like any other citizen of the country and made it clear that the contentious issues of Ram Temple and Uniform Civil Code would be addressed with the Constitutional framework.

The BJP’s prime ministerial candidate underlined that he sees all Indians as one and it is his “responsibility” to reach out to all sections of the society, which includes Muslims.

Union Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde Tuesday criticised Narendra Modi for launching “personal attacks” on Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi and his brother-in-law Robert Vadra, and said the BJP PM candidate should rather talk on national and international issues.

“They should talk on national and international issues. Why do they have to use words like ‘Shehzada’, talk about some one’s property or keep taking about madam (Sonia Gandhi),” he told reporters here.

Former Punjab Chief Minister Capt Amarinder Singh on Tuesday said that the girls in Punjab feel unsafe as the anti-social elements are getting “patronage” from the government.

In an interaction with a group of school girls here, Amarinder, the Congress candidate from Amritsar Lok Sabha seat, said “once I enter the parliament, I will draw the country’s attention towards the prevailing law and order situation in Punjab where our daughters are not feeling safe”.

Attacking BJP Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Samajwadi Party supremo Mulayam Singh Yadav Tuesday alleged that a man who “changes his kurta” five times a day, would not know about the pains of the poor.

Addressing a rally after filing his nomination today for Azamgarh Lok Sabha seat, Mulayam said that Modi’s professed sympathy towards farmers about development is a “bunch of lies”.

He said that Modi should compete with SP on the parameters of development.