Ruling party members don't respect Election Commission, says Kapil Sibbal

The Congress party on Monday alleged that the members of the ruling party including Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the Cabinet Ministers were not respecting the Election Commission of India (ECI).

"We have told the EC that we believe people in the ruling party do not respect the poll panel. They do whatever they want. Even Prime Minister Modi is behaving the same way. Ministers are also doing the same thing," Congress leader Kapil Sibal said while talking to reporters the outside the Nirvachan Sadan here.

Sibal was leading a delegation of Congress leaders who met the Election Commission officers to apprise them of the alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by the BJP leaders.

Accusing Defence Minister Nirmala Sitharaman of violating the MCC, Sibal said, "The Defence Minister came out after casting her vote and said -- Abki Bar, Modi Sarkar. This is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. We have submitted the video of the incident. If the Defence Minister acts like this, what message it will convey to the people?"

The Congress leader also alleged that the government was misusing the investigative agencies to give bad publicity to the opposition parties.

"The EC had directed that raids by investigative agencies should be done in an impartial manner. On April 11, a raid was conducted at the home of one of our candidates in Bihar. Nothing was found. The government is misusing the investigative agencies for (negative) publicity," he alleged.

Sibal further alleged that the BJP leaders in Karnataka including BS Yedurappa had used a fake letter "written by M B Patil, the Home Minister of Karnataka."

"That fake letter says we are going to unite the Christians and Muslims and will urge for Lingayats to be given minority status so that Hindu votes get divided," Sibal said.

Terming the letter as "completely fabricated," the Congress leader said, "We had complained about it on July 10, 2017. Then too, we had approached the Election Commission and said that it was a fake letter."

"No action was taken then. Now that fake letter has resurfaced in a newspaper 'Vijayvani' and was broadcasted on 'Digvijaya' news channel."

Alleging that the owner of these is BJP MP Vijay Sankeswar, Sibal said,"BJP people and those close to the Prime Minister are spreading lies."

Sibal said that they have requested that a case of forgery should be lodged against them.

"We have requested that a case of forgery should be lodged against them and also for spreading communal disharmony," he said.

Sibal alleged the BJP is involved in this conspiracy.

"BS Yedurappa campaigned with that letter. So we have demanded the Election Commission to take immediate actions against them," Sibbal said.