Congress moves EC against Ireland envoy, UP Chief Minister

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday moved the Election Commission against the BJP leaders for allegedly invoking religion during their campaigning, Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for making “false and communally-charged” statements and the Indian envoy to Ireland for his “political” letter published in the Irish Times.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh in a post on X said that his party delegation comprising Rajiv Shukla, Supriya Shrinate, Gurdeep Sappal and others met with the Election Commission and submitted 20 complaints against the BJP and its leaders for blatant violations of the Model Code of Conduct in different states. The Opposition party hoped that the EC will take the necessary action immediately, he said.

“We have made 20 complaints. Religious sentiments are being exploited by the BJP by violating the rules of the Election Commission,” Shukla told reporters after meeting the commission. “The BJP people put up hoardings on which it is written, ‘We will bring back those who have brought Ram’....they are talking about bringing our God,” he said. Shukla claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other BJP leaders are spreading lies about the Congress manifesto.

He said that the misleading propaganda against the Congress manifesto should stop.

Among the 20 complaints, the Congress apprised the commission of instances of voter intimidation and booth capturing in the Ukhrul district, Outer Manipur Parliamentary constituency, during phase II of polling in the ongoing elections.

“This is in addition to instances of abuse of the electoral process raised by the INC during the phase I of voting in the state of Manipur which faced outbreaks of violence and voter intimidation,” the Congress said. The Congress gave further evidence to a previous representation filed by it on April 21 against leaders of the BJP for invoking religion during their election campaigning in violation of the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct, the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the Indian Penal Code, 1860.

The Congress also filed a complaint against Ambassador of India to Ireland, Akhilesh Mishra, for his letter published in the Irish Times which was “political” in nature.