BJP leader Satpal Satti, who abused Rahul Gandhi, banned from campaigning

Shimla: The Election Commission has banned Himachal Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party president Satpal Satti from holding public rallies for 48 hours for his derogatory remark against Congress president Rahul Gandhi.

Satti, who had read out a cuss word against Mr Gandhi from a message circulating on social media, has been barred from holding public rallies from 10am on Saturday.

According to an EC order, which said the remark was indecent, derogatory and totally uncalled for.

The ban bars Satti from holding public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in (electronic, print, social) media in connection with the Lok Sabha election under way, EC Secretary Rahul Sharma said in the order.

The EC has barred Satti from holding rallies under Article 324. The Article gives the poll panel the powers of “superintendence, direction and control” of elections.

The commission is convinced that the statement is in “violation of the provisions contained in para 2 of part-1 of General Conduct of Model Code of Conduct and the commission's advisory, dated November 28, 2013, a state electoral official said.