BJP moves EC seeking 'seizure' of Congress poll symbol

Claiming that Congress Vice President Rahul Gandhi's correlating the party symbol 'hand' with religious figures was violative of the poll code of conduct, the BJP on Tuesday moved the EC seeking 'seizure' of the election symbol of Congress.

Ahead of the assembly polls to five states, including high-stake Uttar Pradesh, a Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) delegation filed a complaint against Gandhi for his remarks made at the Congress' 'Jan Vedna Sammelan' in Delhi on January 11.

The delegation to the Election Commission (EC) was led by union ministers Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi and Prakash Javadekar, while party's National General Secretary Arun Singh, among others, accompanied them.

"Rahul Gandhi's remarks are nothing but a conspiracy to communally vitiate the polls. By relating the party symbol with religious figures, he wants to tell the people that by voting for the Congress, they will vote for their religion," Naqvi told the media.

"This is nothing but seeking vote in the name of religion. This is not only a corrupt practice but also a gross violation of the model code of conduct. So, we have demanded strong action in this matter. The Congress symbol should be seized," he said.

Describing the Congress as a 'history-sheeter' in communal politics, Naqvi also took a jibe over the Congress entering into an alliance with the ruling Samajwadi Party for the Uttar Pradesh assembly polls.

"Now that the Congress has aligned with the Samajwadi Party, their common minimum programme will be based on communalism, corruption and misgovernance," added Naqvi.

--IANS

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