<p>The Election Commission decided today to issue a notice to Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela for allegedly making hate speeches while campaigning in poll-bound Gujarat.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The Commission, in its meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, decided to issue the notice after prima facie finding that Vaghela had violated the Model Code of Conduct by making speeches in Surat that made references to the post-Godhra violence.<br /><br />The EC is preparing the notice and the same is likely to be issued to him by evening.<br />The Commission's decision to issue the notice came after it received complaints against Vaghela, following which the Chief Electoral Officer, Gujarat, and the District Electoral Officer, Surat, gave their reports.<br /><br />It had also received video-recording and transcripts of the speeches and those were seen before issuing the notice.<br /><br />Vaghela had on October 31 made speeches at the BRC gate ground in Surat where he made references to the Godhra incident and recollected the post-Godhra killings in a bid to woo the Muslim votebank.<br /><br />The former Gujarat chief minister is reported to have reminded the voters about the post-Godhra violence and charged the Modi-led Gujarat government of having orchestrated them in his speeches.<br /><br />Vaghela, who has earlier been with the BJP before switching his loyalty to the Congress, is also the chairman of Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).<br /><br />Gujarat will go to polls in two phases on December 13 and 17. The counting of votes will take place on December 20.</p>
<p>The Election Commission decided today to issue a notice to Congress leader Shankersinh Vaghela for allegedly making hate speeches while campaigning in poll-bound Gujarat.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The Commission, in its meeting chaired by Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, decided to issue the notice after prima facie finding that Vaghela had violated the Model Code of Conduct by making speeches in Surat that made references to the post-Godhra violence.<br /><br />The EC is preparing the notice and the same is likely to be issued to him by evening.<br />The Commission's decision to issue the notice came after it received complaints against Vaghela, following which the Chief Electoral Officer, Gujarat, and the District Electoral Officer, Surat, gave their reports.<br /><br />It had also received video-recording and transcripts of the speeches and those were seen before issuing the notice.<br /><br />Vaghela had on October 31 made speeches at the BRC gate ground in Surat where he made references to the Godhra incident and recollected the post-Godhra killings in a bid to woo the Muslim votebank.<br /><br />The former Gujarat chief minister is reported to have reminded the voters about the post-Godhra violence and charged the Modi-led Gujarat government of having orchestrated them in his speeches.<br /><br />Vaghela, who has earlier been with the BJP before switching his loyalty to the Congress, is also the chairman of Indian Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC).<br /><br />Gujarat will go to polls in two phases on December 13 and 17. The counting of votes will take place on December 20.</p>