<p>The Congress on Monday dropped plans to move the Election Commission against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reported use of religion while campaigning in Uttar Pradesh.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Congress leaders saw red in Modi’s assertions that a village having a ‘kabristan’ (graveyard) should also have a ‘shamsaan’ (cremation ground) and, sought an appointment with the poll commission to lodge a formal protest and seek action.<br /><br />However, Congress leaders had second thoughts, with a section arguing that their move could be used by Modi to “further polarise the electorate” in Uttar Pradesh, which is known to have voted on caste and religious lines.<br /><br />Congress leaders pointed out that the BJP’s stupendous performance in Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections — when it won 71 of the 80 seats — was mainly due to the polarisation of the electorate in the aftermath of the Muzaffarnagar riots.<br /><br />“The Election Commission should do its own work. It has a Constitutional mandate... The Election Commission had said earlier that it would not allow such kind of campaign, which is divisive,” Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma told reporters here.<br /><br />Earlier, K C Mittal, AICC secretary, Legal and Human Rights Department, said that a Congress delegation would meet Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and seek appropriate action against Modi. But later Mittal conveyed to the commission that the Congress delegation had decided otherwise.<br /></p>
<p>The Congress on Monday dropped plans to move the Election Commission against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reported use of religion while campaigning in Uttar Pradesh.<br /><br /></p>.<p>Congress leaders saw red in Modi’s assertions that a village having a ‘kabristan’ (graveyard) should also have a ‘shamsaan’ (cremation ground) and, sought an appointment with the poll commission to lodge a formal protest and seek action.<br /><br />However, Congress leaders had second thoughts, with a section arguing that their move could be used by Modi to “further polarise the electorate” in Uttar Pradesh, which is known to have voted on caste and religious lines.<br /><br />Congress leaders pointed out that the BJP’s stupendous performance in Uttar Pradesh in the 2014 Lok Sabha elections — when it won 71 of the 80 seats — was mainly due to the polarisation of the electorate in the aftermath of the Muzaffarnagar riots.<br /><br />“The Election Commission should do its own work. It has a Constitutional mandate... The Election Commission had said earlier that it would not allow such kind of campaign, which is divisive,” Congress senior spokesperson Anand Sharma told reporters here.<br /><br />Earlier, K C Mittal, AICC secretary, Legal and Human Rights Department, said that a Congress delegation would meet Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi and seek appropriate action against Modi. But later Mittal conveyed to the commission that the Congress delegation had decided otherwise.<br /></p>
