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NEW DELHI: The Election Commission has directed the Uttar Pradesh Election officer to file an FIR against Gorakhpur BJP MP Adityanath and reprimanded him for his hate speeches while campaigning for the by elections in Uttar Pradesh.
The EC underlining key words reprimanded the BJP leader who is now the party’s ‘star campaigner’ in the state stating, ““In the commission’s considered view, you have violated the provisions of MCC as mentioned in the commission’s notice dated September 9, 2014. The commission reprimands you for the said misconduct and cautions you to be careful in future in making public utterances during election speeches to avoid any further violation of the Model Code of Conduct.”
The EC took cognizance of the hate speeches against Muslims, including warning that those “who trouble Hindus with riots will have to pay dearly.” The EC rejected Adityanath’s claim that his speeches, many of the recorded by district authorities, were aimed at “communal harmony” and noted, “ the CD covering your speech manifestedly shows that you invoked religion and made appeal on this ground of religion to secure votes.” It cautioned him to be careful in his public statements.
Adityanath has been pouring vitriol in his hectic campaign across the state. Ironically the EC observations came after campaigning for the by polls in UP has ended, enjoying a virtually free run in the days leading to the voting.
The BJP has of course come to his rescue maintaining that Adityanath has not violated any code of conduct but said a day earlier that it would accept the EC verdict. Adityanath himself defied a ban on his election meetings and addressed at least one of these through his mobile phone. He accused the district administration of acting under political directions and said that the BJP would trounce the Samajwadi party in the elections. Support for him is also being expressed in loud strident terms on the social media by many claiming of course to be BJP supporters, even as they issue unguarded threats to journalists and others who they feel are supporting the EC position.
Opposition parties have attacked Adityanath in no uncertain terms. The Congress demanded he be disqualified from the membership of the Lok Sabha. CPI(M)’s Politburo member Brinda Karat, in a column was categorical, “With his known history of communally inflammatory speeches and actions, Adityanath was not chosen as chief campaigner by Amit Shah because he was expected to preach the tenets of universal brotherhood. Amit Shah has no time for such niceties, not even for the sake of appearances. The BJP President himself was banned from addressing rallies in UP during the last Lok Sabha elections after he had made a series of highly provocative speeches which further intensified, as they were designed to, the polarisation that had been created under his guidance in Muzaffarnagar. His own success story is based on the "riots for votes" mantra.
Sadly for Indian democracy, individuals who should be behind bars flaunt their electoral victories as sanction for their toxic brand of politics.”
BJP president Amit Shah has also just been charged by the UP police for hate speech during his campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections in the state. he deputy SP of New Mandi circle here, Yogender Singh, said the chargesheet has been filed under various sections of IPC, including 153A (promoting enmity between different groups on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, etc.), 295A (deliberate and malicious acts, intended to outrage religious feelings of any class) and 505 (false statement, rumour, etc. circulated with intent to cause mutiny or offence against the public peace), and Section 123-3 of Representation of People Act (making an appeal to vote on the grounds of religion amounting to corrupt practice).
The EC had banned Shah from campaigning in the state on April 4 this year. The police had registered a case against him for violating the model code following a directive from the EC. His remarks that the 2014 Lok Sabha polls were an opportunity to seek “revenge for the insult” inflicted during the communal violence in Muzaffarnagar had sparked a storm, and the EC had issued him a notice subsequently.
