Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi denied violating the Model Code of Conduct on Friday, in response to the Election Commission’s notice on his speeches.
The scion of India’s most powerful political dynasty had said during a rally in Madhya Pradesh that Pakistan’s intelligence agency ISI was in touch with Muzaffarnagar riot victims and charged Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) with indulging in politics of hatred.
Rahul said that he didn’t intend to exploit communal sentiments but was ‘referring to divisive politics’.
Justifying his comments made at rallies, Rahul told the Election Commission that he is entitled to talk about his party’s ideology, policies and programmes.
Gandhi’s reply came in a sealed enveloped to CEC a little ahead of the 11:30 AM deadline set by the poll body. The Election Commission is discussing Gandhi’s reply in its meeting chaired by the CEC.
The notice was issued on the complaints made by the BJP to the commission.
The model code prescribes that “no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic”.