The Congress on Friday approached the Election Commission seeking a ban on Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s campaigning, claiming that he was making “communal and provocative” statements.
A delegation led by former Congress MP Sandeep Dikshit met Delhi Chief Electoral Officer Ranbir Singh demanding “strong action” against Kejriwal by banning him from the election campaign.
In its memorandum, Congress said that during a press conference, Kejriwal had asked Muslims not to vote for the Congress as it was not getting “a single Hindu vote”.
“Kejriwal’s statement is highly communal and illegal in nature and is intended to divide the Hindu and Muslim votes and attract the voters along communal lines. We seek strong action against Kejriwal for trying to stoke a communal divide,” it said.
“We demand that the Election Commission takes cognizance of his explosive statement and he should be banned from taking further part in the election campaign,” said the memorandum signed by Dikshit and other Congress leaders Mangat Ram Singh, Ramakant Goswami, Jitender Kochar and Onika Mehrotra.
Kejriwal is set to embark on a campaign in the national capital, which is going to polls on May 12. Unlike 2014, Kejriwal has not branched out this time, apart from campaigning briefly for the TDP in Andhra Pradesh.
Congress’ direct attack on Kejriwal also showed that both the parties, which were in negotiation for an alliance till recently, will leave no stone unturned during the campaign.
Congress has not taken lightly to Kejriwal’s attack on its president Rahul Gandhi, as the coalition has not materialised.
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