Muslim League wants EC ban on Shah's campaign

Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) on Tuesday petitioned the Election Commission against BJP president Amit Shah seeking a ban on his campaigning for his remarks equating Kerala's Wayanad with Pakistan following the presence of its green flags in Congress chief Rahul Gandhi's campaign.

In its complaint before Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora, the IUML said Shah made "baseless, malicious, irresponsible, insulting and communal statements" regarding the party and wanted an FIR against him for promoting enmity against communities.

The complaint by IUML National Secretary Khorrum A Omer came on Shah's campaign speech in Nagpur on April 9 when he was quoted as saying, "And this Rahul baba, for the sake of his alliance, has gone to such a seat in Kerala where when a procession is taken out, you cannot make out whether it is India or a Pakistani procession. You cannot make out, to such a seat he has gone).

Omer said the remarks were "irresponsible, insulting and a disgusting display of communal agenda" adopted by Amit Shah. The state was not just "insulting to Muslim League but also to the people of Wayanad and a "grave violation" of Model Code of Conduct.

The petition said Shah has portrayed the IUML flag as the national flag of Pakistan when it has nothing to do with it. A UPA ally, the Muslim League that has 18 MLAs and two MPs elected from Kerala.

"Apart from the IUML, many political parties have green flags in India including JD(U), JD(S), INLD, RJD among others...The targeted communal attempt equating the IUML flag with the national flag of Pakistan is designed to tarnish the party as a fifth column of Pakistan and to incite communal hatred against the IUML," it said.

Seeking action against Shah, the IUML cited the Tuesday's order by the Election Commission against Yogi Adityananth barring him from any sort of campaigning for 72 hours and the present case is "much similar" involving this leader.

"...in the light of the same, similar orders may be passed," the petition said.

Earlier on April 6, the IUML had approached the Election Commission seeking action against saffron party leaders, including Yogi Adityanath among others for their remarks against the party.

It had then complained that besides Adityanath, BJP leaders and its supporters like Union Minister Giriraj Singh, BJP IT Cell chief Amit Malavya and actress Koena Mitra were spreading photos of Muslim League's green flag as that of Pakistan and that the party was a successor of the All India Muslim League led by Mohd Ali Jinnah.