Rahul Gandhi gets 3 more days to respond to EC notice

Congress vice president had allegedly said that if BJP comes to power 22,000 people will be killed in violence

Press Trust of India New Delhi
Last Updated : May 12 2014 | 4:34 PM IST
The Election Commission today granted Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi three more days to respond to its show cause notice for his alleged remarks that if BJP comes to power, 22,000 people will be killed in violence.

The Commission had asked Rahul to respond to the notice by this morning. But on his request, the Commission today extended the deadline till the morning of May 15, sources in EC said.

According to the notice issued on May 9, addressing an election rally in Solan, Himachal Pradesh on May 1, Rahul had reportedly said: "People from Japan ask me...They say we are scared over one issue. We will help you, we will prepare roads. But we are scared whether there will be peace...They say whether people of India will fight with each other or not?

"This fear is there in our lives as well. If there is BJP, there will be violence. If there is BJP, 22,000 people will die, because they spread anger...This question was never raised before."

The BJP had moved the EC against Gandhi for his remarks.

The EC had reminded Gandhi of the provision in the Model Code which states that no party or candidate would indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred.

The show cause notice also referred to the provision which refrains parties and candidates making distorted or unverified allegations and limit their criticism to policies and programmes of rival parties.
*Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%
*Complimentary New York Times access for the 2nd year will be given after 12 months

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Exclusive premium stories online

  • Over 30 premium stories daily, handpicked by our editors

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: May 12 2014 | 4:20 PM IST

Next Story