Election commission should ban prime minister’s campaigning in Karnataka: Gehlot

Rajasthan chief minister Ashok Gehlot on Saturday said the Election Commission (EC) should place a ban on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s campaigning in poll-bound Karnataka for his “religious statements”.

His remarks came following PM Modi’s statement during which he urged the people of Karnataka to say ‘Jai Bajrangbali’ as they vote for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). The PM was addressing a public meeting in Uttara Kannada district on Wednesday.

“The Election Commission should ban Prime Minister Modi from campaigning. If someone talks on religious lines, his propaganda should be banned as per the provisions of law,” Gehlot said.

Giving an example in a similar context, Gehlot said that former Rajasthan chief minister Bhairon Singh Shekhawat once contested from Ganganagar and Bali where he spoke about Ram Mandir against which a petition was filed with the EC for invoking religion and he was about to lose his membership.

Also Read: Say ‘Jai Bajrangbali’ while casting vote, PM says in Karnataka; Cong defends stand on Bajrang Dal

However, he asked, that the prime minister, who is speaking openly on the basis of religion, EC is not even seeking answers from him. “That is why PM Modi’s election campaign should be banned,” said Gehlot.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday urged the people of Karnataka to say ‘Jai Bajrangbali’ when they cast their vote to “punish” the Congress for its “culture of abuse”, as the BJP stepped up attack on the opposition party over its election manifesto promise of banning the Bajrang Dal.

The Congress manifesto for Karnataka polls included a ban on organisations such as the Popular Front of India (PFI) and the Bajrang Dal.

Congress said it was committed to taking firm and decisive action against individuals and organisations such as the Bajrang Dal and the PFI for “spreading hatred” among communities on grounds of caste and religion.

On the threat to kill Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge and his family, Gehlot said he (Kharge) is a veteran politician holding the position of party chief and he and his family members are being threatened in Karnataka. It is condemnable to threaten him like this. “Despite this threat, nothing has been said from the PM or by the Union home minister. The EC is silent even after the kind of threat that surfaced.”

Congress on Saturday alleged that a “sinister and “ugly plot” is being hatched by the BJP to kill its party president Mallikarjun Kharge and his family. Congress played an audio clip at a press briefing in Bengaluru, claiming that the BJP candidate from Chittapur Manikanta Rathod could be heard using derogatory language for Kharge and talking about eliminating him and along with his family.

Gehlot further said that many organisations name themselves after Ram or Shiv, but government action is based on the role of the organisation and not the name. “It all depends on the intention of the organisation. The issue of Bajrang Dal did not become an issue in Karnataka which is why BJP leaders are frustrated,” he added.

State Congress chief Govind Singh Dotasara also condemned the threat on Kharge and his family alleged by a BJP candidate.

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“Such threats to Congress national president is condemnable. They are weakening democracy. The PM has not taken any action, nor the Union home minister has made any statement– they are busy in road shows and winning elections,” Dotasara said.

“We urge the PM if they have morale then take immediate action but the hopes are less as the women wrestlers protesting for weeks haven’t been given justice,” he said.

Commenting on it, BJP MLA Vasudev Devnani said the PM never spoke anything on religion nor made any appeal. He just mentioned a God’s name against which there is no constitutional violation.

Karnataka will go to polls on May 10 and the votes will be counted on May 13.

Campaigning for the May 10 elections in Karnataka is at its peak with multiple rallies, public meetings and interactions across the state.