BJP moves EC over Rahul's 'unparliamentary language' against PM

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Friday moved the Election Commission (EC) seeking action against Congress president Rahul Gandhi for using "false" and "fabricated" words to defame Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

"Rahul Gandhi has been using inappropriate, false and fabricated words against PM Modi. He has crossed all limits by using such a level of 'unparliamentary' language. He always accuses PM based on wrong information," Union Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi told media here after he submitted a memorandum to the EC.

He also accused the Trinamool Congress (TMC) of poll rigging during the first phase polling on April 11.

"BJP has asked the Election Commission to conduct re-polling in the booths which TMC goons had captured yesterday as CRPF was not deployed there," said Naqvi.

Echoing Naqvi's stance, Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman, who also met EC officials, said the BJP sent several petitions to the EC that in spite of the December 2018 verdict of the Supreme Court, the Congress president called PM Modi a "chor".

"Without any evidence, he repeats that the PM gave Rs 30,000 crore to Anil Ambani. Today, we drew the attention of the EC, stating that when neither the Supreme Court nor the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has said anything in this regard, then why is Gandhi attributing this with such a conviction," she added.

The defence minister accused EC of not taking the matter into cognisance. "I feel let down by the Election Commission. They looked the other way in spite of our complaints," she said.

On April 10, the Supreme Court had dismissed the Centre's preliminary objections claiming 'privilege' over three Rafale documents cited in petitions seeking review of the December 14 verdict on the fighter jet deal.

In a unanimous judgement, a three-judge bench of the top court headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi allowed the admissibility of the three documents and said the review pleas will be heard on merits.

Congress president on April 11 claimed that the Supreme Court has accepted there was "corruption" in the mega defence deal.

"The SC has accepted that. The SC is going to investigate that," Rahul had said.

Earlier today, the Supreme Court said that it will hear on April 15 a contempt petition filed by BJP leader Meenakshi Lekhi against Rahul, accusing him of misquoting the apex court in connection with the Rafale deal.