Issue notice to Shah for remark meant to communalise atmosphere: Cong to EC

Shah's statement in Telangana was absolutely false and misrepresented some points of the Congress's poll manifesto in the southern state, Sibal alleged

The Congress urged the Election Commission (EC) Tuesday to issue a notice to BJP chief Amit Shah for a statement he had made in Telangana, which the opposition party alleged was aimed at creating a communal atmosphere in the poll-bound state.

Senior Congress leaders Ahmed Patel, Kamal Nath and Kapil Sibal met EC officials and raised a number of issues, ranging from EVM-related complaints in Madhya Pradesh and Shah's statement to the arrest of the opposition party's working president in Telangana.

Shah's statement in Telangana was absolutely false and misrepresented some points of the Congress's poll manifesto in the southern state, Sibal told reporters after meeting the EC officials.

The statement of the BJP chief was aimed at creating a communal atmosphere, he alleged, adding that the Congress had urged the poll watchdog to issue a notice to Shah for his remarks.

Sibal said the other issue they raised with the EC was of the arrest of Telangana Congress working president A Revanth Reddy, who had called a "bandh" to protest against Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) chief and the state's caretaker Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao's public meeting in the Kodangal Assembly constituency.

"He (Reddy) was arrested at 3 am and was not told why was he arrested. We requested (the EC officials) that such arrests should not be made during the time of elections," he added.

Reddy was taken into preventive custody early Tuesday.

The other issue that was raised with the EC was of the Telangana chief minister calling a cabinet meeting and giving directions, Sibal said.

Nath said the issue of complaints related to electronic voting machines (EVMs)at various places in Madhya Pradesh was also raised with the EC officials.

"We have demanded that action be taken against the officials at these places, from where such complaints are coming," the Madhya Pradesh Congress chief said.

Sibal said they cited examples such as EVMs being transported in private school buses without registration numbers.

Another issue that was raised was that the second round of counting of votes should start only after the process for the first round was over, he said.

While Assembly elections have already been held in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and Mizoram, Rajasthan and Telangana will go to polls on December 7 and the results for all the five states will be announced on December 11.