Karnataka sovereignty row: EC points discover to Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge over Sonia Gandhi’s remarks | Photo: IANS
The Election Commission on Monday issued a discover to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge asking to offer clarification and take rectification measures over former get together chief Sonia Gandhi`s “Karnataka sovereignty” remarks.
In the discover to the Congress chief, the EC stated, “I am directed to refer to a complaint dated May 8, 2023 submitted by the leaders of Bharatiya Janata Party, namely, Bhupender Yadav, Dr. Jitendra Singh, Tarun Chugh, Anil Baluni and Om Pathak to the Commission regarding a tweet which appeared on the official Twitter handle of the Congress on May 6, 2023 at 09:46 PM.”
“CPP Chairperson Sonia Gandhi Ji sends a strong message to 6.5 crore Kannadigas: The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka’s reputation, sovereignty or integrity,” the ballot panel cited the tweet as saying.
It stated that within the grievance made by the BJP, it’s alleged, inter-alia (as quoted), “Karnataka, is a very important member state in the union of India and any call to protect the sovereignty of a member state of the union of India amounts to a call for secession and is fraught with perilous and pernicious consequences.”
“In view of the above, you are requested to clarify and take rectification measures in respect of the social media post which has been put up on the INC Twitter handle and attributed to Chairperson CPP,” the EC stated.
The EC cited that in line with the grievance made by the BJP, the tweet is violative of the obligatory oath undertaken by the political events beneath part 29A (5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 on the time of registration.
Earlier within the day, a delegation of BJP had moved the ballot panel towards remarks by Sonia Gandhi on ‘sovereignty of Karnataka’, which has triggered an enormous political storm within the run-up to the May 10 Assembly election.
The grievance filed with the EC by the BJP reads, “Definition of sovereignty is an impartial nation. India is a sovereign nation and Karnataka is a proud a part of it.
Describing this assertion as “shocking and unacceptable”, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, who filed the grievance, stated Sonia Gandhi has violated provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and requested the EC to take stringent motion towards her for making “such a statement”.
Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi and different BJP leaders focused the grand previous get together over the comment. On Saturday, Sonia Gandhi had addressed a rally in Hubbali district of poll-bound Karnataka. Polling for Karnataka meeting is scheduled on May 10 and counting of votes will happen on May 13.
