BJP says Rahul made provocative statement, seeks action by EC

BJP today approached the Election Commission to seek action against Rahul Gandhi, claiming he had made a "highly provocative" statement that 22,000 people will be killed in the country if Narendra Modi becomes the Prime Minister.

"We brought to the EC notice the statement of Rahul Gandhi yesterday in Solan (Himachal Pradesh) that if Modi becomes Prime Minister there would be massacre of 22,000 people. This is a highly provocative statement by the Congress vice president," BJP leader Ananth Kumar said.

Kumar, who was talking to reporters after leading a party delegation to Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, said the alleged remark was "uncalled for and breach of model code of conduct".

The BJP "urged the CEC to take serious note of it and take action to restrain Rahul Gandhi from giving such statements," he said. Asked about the EC response, Kumar said "CEC assured us that appropriate action will be taken after looking into it."

The BJP delegation, which also included Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Chandan Mitra, also alleged that rigging, booth capturing had taken place along with violence in West Bengal during polls on April 30 and demanded increased arrangements during the remaining two phases of polling.

"We brought to his (CEC's) notice that in most of the booths in West Bengal there were no CCTVs nor central forces," Kumar said, adding the delegation had submitted a memorandum giving details of rigging and booth capturing on April 30. The party demanded repolling in those booths where voting was very high.

"We urged the CEC that he should ensure increased arrangements with CCTVs in all the sensitive booths in the ensuing two phases on May 7 and 12," he said.

Left Front yesterday approached the EC to demand repolling in more than 1000 booths in Bengal alleging largescale rigging.