ECI issues show cause notice to Himanta Biswa Sarma for poll code violation in Chhattisgarh campaign

The Election Commission of India (EC) has issued a show cause notice to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for the former's ‘Akbar’ remark during the Chhattisgarh poll campaign.
 
The commission has asked Sarma to respond to the notice by 5 p.m. on October 30.

The move comes after Congress on Wednesday lodged complaints against Union Home Minister Amit Shah and Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma with the Election Commission, alleging that their remarks during the Chhattisgarh assembly poll campaign violated the model code of conduct.

Earlier, the Congress' complaint against Assam Chief Minister Sarma pertained to a speech he delivered in Chhattisgarh's Kawardha on 18 October while campaigning against Congress candidate Mohammad Akbar.

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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."

In the EC notice to Himanta Biswa Sarma, it was mentioned that the BJP leader flouted the 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."

"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.

Reacting to the ECI's notice, veteran Congress leader Jairam Ramesh took to his X handle and wrote, "Yesterday, the Congress party brought to the attention of the Election Commission of India serious electoral malpractices by senior leaders of the party in power. The ECI has observed prima facie the violation of the Model Code of Conduct by the Assam CM for his obnoxious hate speech on the 18th of October in Chhattisgarh. He is actually a serial offender. 

We hope that the ECI will follow through and take this case to its logical conclusion. Politicians, especially those holding Constitutional positions, cannot and should not be allowed to get away with such blatant violations of the Model Code of Conduct. It is the only way to stop the poisoning of our public discourse and protect the sanctity of our elections and democracy itself."