The Election Commission has issued notice to Himanta Biswa Sarma
New Delhi:
The Election Commission has sent notice to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma over alleged poll code violation. The Congress party had filed the complaint with the Election Commission (EC).
The EC told Mr Sarma to reply by 5 pm on Monday.
Mr Sarma in an election campaign speech allegedly targeted Chhattisgarh’s only Muslim minister Mohammad Akbar last week, according to the complaint by the Congress.
During his speech in Kawardha in Chhattisgarh on October 18, Mr Sarma allegedly took a controversial swipe at Mr Akbar.
“The land of Mata Kaushalya will get defiled if Akbar isn’t sent off,” Mr Sarma reportedly said.
“If one Akbar comes to some place, he calls 100 Akbars. So, send him off as soon as possible, otherwise the land of Mata Kaushalya will get defiled,” the Assam Chief Minister reportedly said.
Mata Kaushalya, the mother of Lord Ram, is believed to be from what is modern day Chhattisgarh.
In the notice, the EC drew Mr Sarma’s attention to a provision in the model code of conduct that says “no party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic.”
Election to the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will be held in two phases – on November 7 and 17.
