The Congress party has sharply questioned the Election Commission of India (ECI) over the show-cause notice issued to party president Mallikarjun Kharge, alleging that the poll body is acting selectively while ignoring alleged violations by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah.
In a strongly worded letter to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh accused the Election Commission of adopting a “casual and routine” approach and suggested that the commission was acting on complaints from the ruling BJP while overlooking similar concerns raised against senior government leaders.
Congress Questions ‘Inconsistencies’ in EC Notice to Kharge
Jairam Ramesh pointed out that two separate notices dated April 22 were sent to Mallikarjun Kharge under the same complaint number but were signed by different officials.
He said the lack of clarity raised serious questions about the commission’s process.
“If one of the notices was withdrawn, there is no mention of it in either of the notices,” Ramesh said in the letter.
He further alleged that one notice mentioned a complaint by Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien, while the second notice removed any reference to him.
According to Ramesh, this reflected a “casual and routine” manner in which notices were being issued, allegedly without proper scrutiny.
Congress Seeks More Time, Calls Deadline Unfair
The Congress also objected to the 24-hour deadline given to Kharge to respond to the notice, saying the party president is currently busy with election campaigning.
Ramesh requested the Election Commission to grant at least one week for a detailed response and demanded that Kharge be given an opportunity for a hearing before any action is taken.
He criticised the tone of the notice, saying it appeared threatening and lacked procedural fairness.
BJP Delegation Pressured EC Over Kharge Remarks
The Election Commission issued the notice to Kharge after a senior BJP delegation, including Union ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Arjun Ram Meghwal and Kiren Rijiju, met poll officials demanding strict action.
The BJP leaders accused Kharge of insulting the nation after he allegedly referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a “terrorist” during a political meeting in Tamil Nadu.
The delegation described the remarks as a “grave insult to the entire nation” and insisted that such statements should not be tolerated.
Congress Accuses EC of Ignoring Modi and Amit Shah
In his letter, Jairam Ramesh alleged that while the Election Commission acted swiftly on the BJP’s complaint, it had failed to take any action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Home Minister Amit Shah over alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct.
He specifically referred to Modi’s national address on April 18, claiming that the Prime Minister attacked the Congress during a sensitive election period.
Ramesh wrote that Modi’s speech included “numerous attacks on the Indian National Congress by name,” including an accusation that the party was responsible for “foeticide” of the Women’s Reservation Bill.
According to Congress, such remarks should have attracted immediate scrutiny from the poll panel.
‘EC Vigilant Against Opposition, Silent on BJP’: Congress
The Congress letter accused the Election Commission of remaining silent on statements made by BJP leaders while being “ever vigilant” against the opposition.
Ramesh argued that Kharge’s remarks were being taken out of context despite public clarification from the Congress president.
“It almost seems that an attempt is being made to deliberately overlook the clear and unequivocal explanation about the context in which the words were uttered,” he said.
He further alleged that the matter “smacks of ulterior motives,” suggesting political bias in the commission’s actions.
Political Row Intensifies Ahead of Elections
The latest exchange has escalated the political battle between the Congress and the BJP at a crucial time, with elections underway in several states.
Congress leaders are portraying the notice to Kharge as an example of institutional bias, while the BJP insists that action against “insulting remarks” is justified.
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