A day after Sonia Gandhi appealed to a Muslim delegation to ensure that “secular votes” do not split in the polls, the BJP accused the Congress president of practicing “communal” politics and urged the Election Commission to take suo motu cognisance of the matter.

Sonia held a meeting with a delegation led by Jama Masjid Imam Syed Ahmed Bukhari at her 10 Janpath residence on Tuesday.

“Bukhari quoted Sonia as saying that Muslim votes should not split. The Congress is appealing to Muslims to vote on communal and religious grounds. What kind of secularism is this? This is vote back politics,” BJP spokesperson Prakash Javadekar said, adding that the poll panel should take suo motu cognisance of this.

The Congress president, however, rejected the BJP’s charge, calling it “a joke”.