Communal remarks: EC slaps notice on KCR

The Election Commission of India slapped a notice on Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for passing derogatory and inflammatory remarks an election campaign meeting that have the potential to disturb harmony and aggravate the divide between social and religious communities.

Vishwa Hindu Parishad Telangana state unit president M Rama Raju lodged a complaint with the EC that KCR had made the controversial remarks against Hindus at the campaign in Karimnagar on 17 March. KCR according to Raju, had commented that BJP leadership uses the Hindu tag only for the sake of votes and fanning hatred like wild fire. The EC gave him time till 5 pm on 12 April to defend himself failing which the commission will take its decision.

EC principal secretary S K Rudola said in the notice that the EC had gone through the English translation of his speech and found it to be containing content that has potential to cause disturbance.

It may be recalled that earlier, KCR and PM Narendra Modi attacked each other on religious beliefs. Modi called KCR superstitious. Rao retorted calling Modi's Hinduism fake, meant only for votes.