The Election Commission has separately sent notices to Congresswoman Priyanka Gandhi Vadra and Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for their alleged offensive remarks made during their campaigns in Chhattisgarh and Rajasthan.
In its notice to Priyanka over her remarks about religiosity of PM Narendra Modi and to Sarma over his “communally-charged” remarks and “unverified allegations against Congress leader Mohammed Akbar”, EC said they prime facie violate the model code provision requiring criticism of other parties to be confined to their policies and programmes and not extend to aspects of private life of party leaders and workers or be based on unverified allegations and distortion.
In accordance with the model code, EC questioned Priyanka and Sarma as to why suitable sanctions weren't applied to them. They have been instructed to reply by October 30. The notices, according to a senior EC official, are consistent with the poll panel's "no-nonsense" attitude to dealing with infractions of the Representation of the People Act or the model code.
Parties and candidates are also required by the model code to refrain from any actions that could exacerbate already-existing animosities, foster animosity towards one another, or lead to conflict between various castes and communities - religious or linguistic - between them.