Manas Dasgupta
NEW DELHI, May 8: A day after the Prime Minister Narendra Modi attacked the Congress for allegedly “advocating” for “separating Karnataka from India,” the BJP on Monday approached the Election Commission of India demanding revocation of the registration of the Congress party and filling an FIR against its former president Sonia Gandhi and initiate “exemplary punitive action” against her for her “sovereignty of Karnataka” remarks.
Sonia Gandhi was alleged to have spoken about the “sovereignty of Karnataka” during her election rally at Hubballi on May 6. But a transcript of her full speech showed she never used the word “sovereignty,” but the BJP’s complaint was based on a tweet by over jealous Karnataka Congress which told the voters in Karnataka that the “CPP Chairperson Smt Sonia Gandhi ji sends a strong message to 6.5 crore Kannadigas: ‘The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka’s reputation, sovereignty or integrity’.”
The tweet apparently was to communicate to the voters of Karnataka the challenge Sonia Gandhi had thrown to the BJP at her Hubballi rally where she had referred to the BJP national president JP Nadda asking the people to vote for the BJP to get “the blessings” of Modi.
Sonia Gandhi during her address had said, “The BJP government’s loot, lies, arrogance and hatred has created such an environment that without getting rid of it neither Karnataka nor the nation can develop… Their leaders are so arrogant that they neither respond to any questions or letters. They think that constitutional bodies are in their pocket.”
Without naming Nadda, she said, “Today, the situation is such that they issue open threats. They say that if they don’t win, then Karnataka will not get Modiji’s blessings. They say that if BJP loses then there will be a lot of fights here… I would like to tell them on behalf of you that don’t think of the people of Karnataka to be this powerless and weak. People of Karnataka are not dependent on anyone’s blessings, but their hard work and resolve. People of Karnataka are not cowards or greedy… People of Karnataka will tell you on May 10 what they are made of… The public takes its own decision about its fortune.”
In his final election rally on Sunday, Modi had also accused the Congress of openly advocating for “separating” Karnataka from India. The Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who led the BJP delegation to the EC, said the use of the word “sovereignty” was deliberate and it was the “agenda of the tukde gang”. “The Congress is using words against the unity and integrity of India that should not have been used.
“The Election Commission heard our issues with seriousness,” Yadav later claimed. “Such a tweet is well-considered evil design to provoke the staunch nationalists, peace-loving, progressive and globally recognised people of Karnataka. The intent apparently is to disturb the equanimity, harmony and peace that obtains in Karnataka just to garner the votes and support of some select communities or groups, whose sole purpose and intent is to disrupt the very being of the Indian State,” the BJP said in its letter to the poll body.
It further said the grand old party’s “general and emerging impression” is one of a party that always sides with forces that are inimical and opposed to the Indian state.
Calling Mrs Gandhi’s remark “unfortunate and inappropriate,” the BJP said even remotely suggesting secession to the people of Karnataka, “who were at the forefront of India’s Independence movement and who have post-independence led in the fields of art, culture, education, industry & trade,” amounts to insulting and humiliating them.
“Karnataka is a very important member state in the Union of India and any call to protect the sovereignty of a member State of the Union of India amounts to a call for secession and is fraught with perilous & pernicious consequences,” the BJP letter said, detaining generally accepted essentials of a sovereign state.
Sonia Gandhi’s call to protect the sovereignty of Karnataka follows a pattern of “mischievous and intentional indiscretions” committed by the Congress party, the BJP said, accusing it of supporting secessionist bodies or movements like the banned Popular Front of India (PFI) or “tukde tukde gang”.
BJP demanded that the Election Commission revoke the registration of the party “that acts in clear violation of the mandatory Oath of upholding the Sovereignty, Unity & Integrity of India” and appropriate preventive and punitive action in accordance with the Model Code of Conduct.
Describing Mrs Gandhi’s statement as “shocking and unacceptable”, Union Minister Shobha Karandlaje, who filed the complaint, said she had violated provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and requested the EC to take stringent action against her for making “such a statement.” Karandlaje, Convener of the BJP Election Management Committee, also requested the EC to issue direction to register FIR against her and take exemplary punitive action.
Modi had at a public meeting in Mysuru district on Sunday had charged that the “disease” of the “tukde-tukde gang” had reached the Congress’s top level. “When it comes to working against India’s interests, Congress’s ‘royal family’ will be at the forefront. I want to speak about a serious issue here, I want to say it as there is a lot of pain in my heart. This country can never forgive such a game. This family, to influence the politics in the country, is encouraging foreign forces to interfere,” Modi claimed.
The PM accused the Congress of secretly meeting foreign diplomats who hate India and repeatedly indulging in activities that insult India’s sovereignty, and said they were not ashamed of it.
Meanwhile, the veteran leader and the Nationalist Congress Party chief Sharad Pawar criticised the prime minister for using religious slogan in the election meetings. Pawar said, “I am surprised that Prime Minister Modi has given “religious” slogans during election campaigning in Karnataka. His reference apparently was to “Bajrangbali ki Jai” slogan Modi gave before addressing the election rally in Karnataka.
“When one takes up a religion or religious issue in an election, it creates a different type of environment and it is not a good thing,” Pawar said. He also said he believed that the Congress would come to power in Karnataka.
