Election Commission issues notice to Modi over his 'khooni panja' remark

Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi has been issued a notice by the Election Commission for an alleged model code of conduct violation over his "khooni panja" remark. The Election Commission has asked Modi to explain by 5 pm on November 16 why action should not be initiated against him for the alleged model code of conduct violation.

The notice was issued on a complain by the Congress party which sought stern action against Modi for his "khooni panja" barb against the party.

In its communication to Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath, Congress accused BJP's prime ministerial candidate of making "intemperate, malicious and defamatory" remarks by referring to the hand symbol, allotted by the Commission to Congress, as "Khooni Panja" and "Jalim Haath".

"The use of the expression 'khooni panja' is extremely significant and deplorable and has an effect of terrorising the public at large against Congress," the party had said in its petition.

The Congress move to approach the EC came days after the Election Commission notice to the party Vice-President Rahul Gandhi over his remark that Pakistani intelligence agency ISI was in touch with some victims of Muzaffarnagar violence.

After BJP's petition to EC in this regard, Rahul Gandhi was served a notice to which he had replied on Friday stating that he had not violated the model code of conduct.

Congress also sent to the EC a DVD of Modi's speech at Dongargarh in Chhattisgarh in which he had made the remarks as well as clippings of a newspaper report.

The party also sent the EC, the text of Modi's speech in which the BJP leader had said, "Yadi aap chahte hain ki Chattisgarh ke upar kisi khooni panje ka saya na pade to aap sabhi kamal mein button dabana aur Chhattisgarh ko khooni panje se bachana. (If you want that the shadow of bloodied hand does not fall on Chattisgarh, press the button on Lotus)"

The party has alleged that Modi had gone on to say - "Jalim hatho mein Chattisgarh ko dena chahate ho?.... Galti se bhee jalim panja ke hatho me Chattisgarh nahi jane dena." (Do you want to give away Chattisgarh to brutal hands....Don't let Chhatisgarh slip into the grip of brutal hands even by mistake)."

We will reply to EC's notice, but I would like to assert that there has been no poll code violation, said Nirmala Sitaraman.