Congress steps up attack on Modi over marital status

BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi has violated the law by hiding his marital status till now, Congress leader Kapil Sibal said Friday.

"The Congress is not interested on attacking anybody over a personal matter, but this is also a matter of violating the rule of law," Sibal said in a press conference after filing a complaint against Modi to the Election Commission.

Modi, in his earlier affidavits filed in the 2001, 2002, 2007 and 2012 assembly elections, did not reveal he was married, he said.

"He had left the space blank in Form 26 which obliges a candidate to reveal all material facts to the EC, including his marital status. This amounted to non-fulfillment of his legal responsibility," Sibal added.

Modi wrote Jashodaben as the name of his wife in an affidavit while filing his nomination papers in Vadodara, where he is also contesting apart from Uttar Pradesh's Varanasi constituency. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader had so far remained silent on the issue of his marital status.

Sibal said that Modi's disclosure was prompted by Jashodaben's interview published in an English daily in February 2014, in which she claimed she was Modi's wife.

"He was a candidate from Rajkot in 2001, and from Maninagar in 2002, 2007 and 2012 for Gujarat Assembly elections. On all such occasions, he did not mention in his affidavit submitted to EC that he was married," Sibal added.

"We have sought action from the Election Commission. There are sections in Indian Penal Code under which this is punishable."