The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued show cause notice to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and the BJP for the former's ‘Akbar’ remark during Chhattisgarh poll campaign.
ECI has asked Sarma to respond to the notice by 5 pm on October 30.
The elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly are slated to be held in two phases - on November 7 and 17.
The move comes after Congress on Wednesday lodged complaints against Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with the ECI, alleging that their remarks during the Chhattisgarh assembly poll campaign violated the model code of conduct, ANI reported.
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The Congress' complaint against Sarma pertained to a speech he delivered in Chhattisgarh's Kawardha on October 18 while campaigning against Congress candidate Mohammad Akbar, the report said.
In his speech, the Congress alleged, Sarma said, "If one Akbar comes to some place, he calls 100 Akbars. So, send him off as soon as possible, otherwise the land of Mata Kaushalya will get defiled."
The ECI notice to Sarma mentioned that the BJP leader violated model code of conduct which came into effect on 9 October. During his speech in Kawardha in Chhattisgarh on 18 October, Sarma had taken a controversial dig at Akbar saying that "the land of Mata Kaushalya will get defiled if Akbar isn't sent off."
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"If one Akbar comes to some place, he calls 100 Akbars. So, send him off as soon as possible, otherwise the land of Mata Kaushalya will get defiled," he said.
Kaushalya, the mother of Ram, is believed to hail from what is modern day Chhattisgarh.
ECI has reminded Sarma of a provision in the poll code which states that "no party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic."
