BJP’S Paresh Rawal taken to task for ‘derogatory’ jibes
ahmedabad — As the April 30 D-day for voting in Lok Sabha polls in Gujarat draws nearer, the no-holds-barred tongue-lashing by desperate candidates is turning worse with the Election Commission of India (ECI) being bombarded with complaints and counter-complaints.
The opposition Congress in Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)ruled Gujarat has put Bollywood actor Paresh Rawal, BJP’s Ahmedabad East contestant, in the dock by lodging a formal complaint with the ECI seeking to blackball the state’s richest candidate by barring him from holding any more poll rallies due to his frequent ‘derogatory’ jibes against Congress leaders.
Nikunj Balar, legal convener of the Gujarat Congress, told
Khaleej Times that in his written complaint, he had compared Rawal’s speech with BJP leader Amit Shah and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan, who have been barred from canvassing by the ECI.
The complaint cited Rawal’s recent speech in Ahmedabad where he addressed a public meeting in the presence of the media and returning officers, who according to him, had even recorded his speech.
It is alleged that Rawal took a dig at Congress in Gujarati by saying that instead of talking about Modi’s marital status, the Congress should tell people about how they ‘made mincemeat’ of the country.
“To make his point, Rawal used a very derogatory Gujarati proverb in his speech. He also went on accusing Congress leaders without any evidence in a very defamatory and provocative language, which is a clear violation of Section 123 of the RP Act,” Balar said, adding that the ECI should stop him from spreading hatred among the masses.
The BJP has also taken exception to ‘derogatory’ remarks of Congress candidate from Vadodara, Madhusudan Mistry who is facing BJP’s prime ministerial candidate and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.
At a press conference last week, Mistry is alleged to have made ‘vulgar’ remarks on senior party leader Sushma Swaraj’s statement that there was “good news” across the country for the BJP in the upcoming polls.
The BJP has demanded in its petition that criminal proceedings be initiated against Mistry for this statement. The BJP has demanded sections 125A and 123(3) be imposed on Mistry under the Representation of People’s Act.
The Bharatiya Janata Party’s Mahila Morcha also on Monday hit out at Mistry for his alleged “loose and vulgar statements” against Swaraj. Gujarat BJP Mahila Morcha President Jyotiben Pandya slammed Mistry for using derogatory terms for a woman.
Mistry, however, said that BJP “is doing this for publicity.”
The Aam Aadmi Party has also lodged a complaint against BJP workers in Mehsana for attacking AAP candidate Vandana Patel during a campaign rally in a village.