BJP asks EC to ensure Rahul Gandhi exercises restraint during poll speeches

Election Commission

Hours after the Congress filed a complaint with the Election Commission against advertisement campaign of the BJP in election-bound Jharkhand, the BJP on Monday registered a compliant with the poll body against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi asking the election watchdog to ensure that Gandhi exercises restraint in his election speeches.

The BJP has said the EC must "reprimand, censure, and restrain" Rahul Gandhi from "handing out lies during campaigning" for next week's Maharashtra election.

The ruling party, reportedly called on the poll body to act against the Congress MP for "gross violation" of the Model Code of Conduct, referring to a section of speech in Mumbai last week; in a written complaint to the EC Monday afternoon, the BJP said the Congress scion had "falsely accused other states of stealing and snatching alleged opportunities from the state of Maharashtra".

On Sunday, Congress general secretary in-charge of communications Jairam Ramesh, in a petition to the election panel, said that the advertisement raised “several blatantly false allegations” against the leaders of the three parties. He said it sought to portray them as “anti-tribal”.