New Delhi: The Election Commission charged Rahul Gandhi with breaching the Model code of conduct on Friday after party vice president in ongoing polls allegedly warned that an opposition victory would trigger carnage.
Following a complaint by opposition Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the commission wrote to Mr Gandhi saying he appeared to have the broken the model code in a speech in Himachal Pradesh on 1st May and gave him time until Monday to respond.
The Election Commission said it had studied video footage sent in by the BJP that appeared to show Gandhi telling supporters that "if there is BJP, 22,000 people will die, because they spread anger".
"The Commission is, prima facie, of the opinion that by making the aforesaid statement you have violated the above said provisions of the Model Code of Conduct," it said in a letter to Gandhi posted on its website.
In the letter, the commission reminded Gandhi that the code specifically banned candidates from making accusations "based on unverified allegations or distortion".
Monday, 12th May is the final day and the ninth phase of voting in the marathon election, which has been marred by often-bitter exchanges between Gandhi's Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party.
Narendra Modi is the favourite to win the polls when results are announced on the 16th of May, but he has come in for widespread criticism from rivals over his refusal to apologise for communal riots in 2002 in Gujarat.
More than 1,000 people mainly Muslims died in the riots, which erupted soon after Modi, came to power as Chief Minister in the state. Modi has never been found guilty of any wrongdoing.
