EC orders FIRs against 3 Cong leaders, religious leader in Guj

The Commission has written to Chief Electoral Officer of Gujarat to ask the Surat District Magistrate to register FIRs against three Congress leaders Kadir Pirzada, Maksud A Kazi, General Secretary of District Congress Minority Cell, Surat, and Rizwan Usmani, another Congress leader, besides Maulana Faiyaz Laturi under Sections 153A, 295A and 505(2) IPC as well as under Section 125 of the Representation of People Act.

The Commission also sent notices to all of them to explain by October 29 why action should not be taken against them for violating the Model code of conduct, failing which the the matter will be decided without any further reference to them.

Pirzada and Maulana Laturi had, during a public meeting at Tadkeshwar in Mandvi of Surat district, made certain allegedly inflamatory speeches which were found to be objectionable by the Commission.

After complaints from BJP leaders about the allegedly inflamatory speeches, the Commission obtained the video CD and their transcript and viewed the relevant portions of the objectionable speeches and then decided to initiate the action.