LUCKNOW: Days after the Samajwadi Party approached the Election Commission to complain against what it described as use of inappropriate language by the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders, the BJP too approached the EC seeking action against leaders of the Congress and the SP-Rashtriya Lok Dal for indecent language.
Akhilesh Awasthi, a lawyer who is the BJP point person for approaching the EC, sought registration of cases against current lawmaker from Meerut (city) Rafeeq Ansari, the joint candidate of Samajwadi Party and the RLD for making ‘har thaney main Hindugardi (Hindu tilt in each police station)’ remark.
“We seek arrest and campaign ban on Ansari for his remarks which were clearly aimed at fomenting communal tension,” Awasthi said after moving the EC.
Ansari’s full remarks, marked in BJP’s complaint to EC, also carried a mention of how in Meerut Muslims had never taken a backseat against anyone.
“In paanch salon ke andar poori Hindugardi machai hai, har thaney main Hindugardi machai hai .. .Meerut ke andar yaqeen maniye Meerut ka naujawan, Meerut ka Musalman kabhi daba nahin hai kisi se .. iss sarkar ne aapko dabane ka kaam kiya hai, aap ko khatm karne ka kaam kiya hai … (In these five years there is a Hindu tilt in each police station. The Muslims in Meerut have been second to none. This government has tried to suppress you, to finish you)” is the statement allegedly made by Ansari that the BJP has reported to the EC in its complaint, a copy of which is with HT.
On being contacted, a police constable in Ansari’s security took the call and said that the lawmaker was busy in a public meeting. Ansari’s security guard also claimed he didn’t know anything about the ‘Hindugardi’ remark and said when free, the lawmaker would call back for his version.
Congress leader from Pindara assembly segment of Varanasi, Ajay Rai’s alleged comment has also been reported to the EC.
As per the written complaint made to EC by the BJP, Rai has been accused of stating thus: “Namak taiyyar rakhiye, 7 March ko Modi-Yogi ko issi maidan main khan ke dabana hai (keep salt ready, we have to bury Modi-Yogi at this place on March 7).”
“Both these statements that we have approached the EC with and the leaders against whom we have sought action are highly dangerous and that is why we are seeking action against them, ” Awasthi said.
While Rai wasn’t available for comment, the Congress accused the BJP of selectivism. “Well, it is nice to know that the BJP is approaching the Election Commission against us. The poll watchdog will do justice but then we hope that the EC would also look into the remarks of BJP’s top leaders who are busy vitiating the poll atmosphere and flouting EC’s Covid guidelines with impunity,” said Congress’s media in-charge Zishan Haider. Two days back, the SP had moved the EC, highlighting chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s warning that the criminals would again face the “bulldozer” after March 10 results were out. “This sort of language cannot be justified in a democracy,” the SP had said.
