Congress Responds to Election Commission Notice Regarding Controversial Remarks
Congress President Addresses Election Commission Notice
On Friday, Mallikarjun Kharge, the national president of the Congress party, announced that they have submitted their response to the Election Commission regarding Prime Minister Narendra Modi's alleged terrorist remarks. Speaking to reporters in Bengaluru, Kharge stated that their reply has already been submitted and published in the newspapers. This development follows a letter written by Congress MP Jairam Ramesh to the Election Commission (ECI) on Thursday, where he criticized the commission for allowing only 24 hours for Kharge to respond to the allegations. The party had requested a week to prepare a detailed response.
Concerns Over Limited Response Time
In his letter to the ECI, Jairam Ramesh expressed surprise at the short notice given to the Congress president to address the allegations, stating that 24 hours is insufficient, especially since Kharge is engaged in multiple election campaigns. He further requested a week to file a comprehensive response and asked for time for a senior delegation of Congress leaders to present it.
Clarification on Controversial Comments
The Election Commission issued an ultimatum to Kharge on Wednesday, demanding clarification regarding his controversial comments made during the Tamil Nadu assembly election campaign. Kharge clarified that he did not label the Prime Minister as a terrorist but was referring to the targeting of political opponents by the Modi government. He asserted that the Prime Minister is instilling fear among politicians and that there is a form of 'tax terrorism' occurring, with raids being conducted by various agencies.
Kharge's Statements on Political Intimidation
In an interview with a news agency on Tuesday, Kharge stated, "I have not said anything against the Prime Minister. He is intimidating politicians and candidates, and I mentioned that tax terrorism is happening, with ED, income tax, and CBI raids taking place. This form of terrorism is being promoted by the Prime Minister. I did not call him a terrorist; he is scaring people. They are trying to silence individuals through raids and defeat them in elections. This is what I conveyed in Chennai."