Election Comission notice to rival party netas for ‘slandering’ Tharoor

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: With the Election Commission issuing show-cause notices to CPM leader M. Vijayakumar and CPI MLA V.S. Sunilkumar for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Mr Shashi Tharoor, UDF candidate here, the media certification and monitoring committee will decide the further course of action.

District Collector Biju Prabhakar, who is also the returning officer for Thiruvananthapuram constituency, sent the notices to the two on Wednesday morning. The reply has to be given within 48-hours. Based on it, the committee will take further action.

A preliminary examination by the committee had found some substance in the complaint raised by Mr Shashi Tharoor.
He filed a complaint with the Election Commission on Tuesday alleging that all Malayalam channels were airing a statement by Mr Vijayakumar to the effect that “Shashi Tharoor has a doctorate in violence against women.”

This was not only outrageous falsehood but also defamatory and a violation of the model code of conduct, he said. Mr. Vijayakumar made the remark during the inauguration of the election office of LDF candidate Dr Bennet Abraham.

The complaint against Mr Sunilkumar was that during a discussion on a television channel, he said that Mr. Tharoor was responsible for the death of his wife Sunanda Pushkar.
Though Mr. Vijayakumar also allegedly made certain derogatory remarks against BJP candidate O. Rajagopal, the district returning officer said that he was yet to receive a complaint in this regard.