EC issues notice to BJP leader Amit Shah over his ‘revenge' remark in Bijnore

New Delhi:Taking note of the "revenge"remark made by Narendra Modi's close aide Amit Shah while campaigning in riot-affected areas of Uttar Pradesh, the Election Commission on Monday issued notice to him for prima facie violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

It asked the BJP leader to explain within three days as to why action should not be initiated against him for violating the model code through his speeches made while campaigning in Shamli, Bijnore and Muzaffarnagar districts in the state.

"The Commission is, prima facie, of the opinion that by making the aforesaid statement you have violated the.... provisions of Model Code of Conduct... Now, therefore, the Commission gives you an opportunity to explain your stand in making the above said statement before 5 PM on April 9, 2014 failing which the ECI shall take a decision without further reference to you," the EC notice said.

The notice referred to provisions of the model code that provide 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' and that parties and candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of the parties.

Shah triggered a controversy with his comment that the general elections, especially in western UP, is "an election for honour. It is an election to take revenge for the insult. "It is an election to teach a lesson to those who have committed injustice".

Two FIRs were lodged against Shah yesterday by the authorities in Uttar Pradesh.

BJP has condemned the filing of the FIRs in Bijnore and Muzaffarnagar districts, saying they were "not bonafide" and that it was a "calculated design" to communalise and polarise the election scenario in UP.

Congress has condemned Shah's remark and rejected BJP's defence of it as "flagrant crude defence and justification of communalism".

Earlier, an FIR was lodged against him by authorities on Sunday and he was booked under section 153 of the IPC (inciting people) and section 125 of the Representation of the People Act (promoting enmity between different classes), he said. The FIR followed a complaint by Congress on Saturday, which accused BJP's Uttar Pradesh in-charge of "creating animosity between communities" and said he has committed an offence under section 125 of RPA.

Poll authorities in Uttar Pradesh sent the CD of the remarks made by Shah in Muzaffarnagar--which witnessed communal violence last year--along with the report of District Election Officer to the Election Commission in Lucknow.

BJP condemned the action of Bijnore district administration, saying the FIR was "not bonafide" and that it was a "calculated design" to communalise and polarise the election scenario in Uttar Pradesh. A case was been lodged under various sections of the IPC and the RPA by the District Magistrate regarding some objectionable part in Shah's speech," chief electoral officer Umesh Sinha told PTI in Lucknow.

With riot-hit Muzaffarnagar going to polls on April 10, Amit Shah had raised the communal temperature by asking the Jats of a village in the area to vote for “revenge”. “In Uttar Pradesh, especially western UP, it is an election for honour. It is an election to take revenge for the insult. It is an election to teach a lesson to those who have committed injustice,” he reportedly said at a meeting of community leaders in Bijnore district on Friday, but the video recording of the same was telecast on Saturday.

The BJP leader said that it was during Mughal rule that swords and arrows were used to take revenge, but, in the present, one can no longer resolve a matter in this way. The BJP on Saturday came under attack over the remarks, with the Congress demanding Mr Shah’s arrest and that he be banned from campaigning for “stoking communal fire”.

The Congress, BSP and the SP have written to the EC demanding a ban on Mr Shah’s entry in UP and action against him. The Congress demanded “stern action” against Mr Shah and Mr Modi.

Shah is not a candidate for the Lok Sabha polls.