ECI asks BJP, Congress to desist from campaigning along caste, community & religious lines

New Delhi, May 22 (Agency) The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday directed both BJP and Congress to disallow their star campaigners from making statements that “divide the society” and may cause tension between different castes and communities. In separate letters to BJP president J P Nadda and Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, ECI specifically instructed their star campaigners to desist from campaigning along religious or communal lines. “India’s socio-cultural milieu is an enduring preserve that cannot be made a casualty to elections,” observes ECI.

“Big two parties are not allowed to weaken the heritage of quality electoral experience of Indian voters,” EC said in its order. It wrote to BJP president Nadda to ask his party’s “star campaigners” from making statements that “divide the society”. The communication to Nadda comes after his response on May 13 to a notice issued to him over a complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Banswara last month. The poll body also asked BJP and Congress to desist from campaigning along caste, community, language, and religious lines, asserting that India’s socio-cultural milieu cannot be made a casualty to elections. Along with Nadda, EC had issued a similar notice to Kharge, asking him to respond to complaints filed by BJP against him and the main opposition party’s senior leader Rahul Gandhi regarding their remarks. The EC also rejected his defence and asked Congress not to politicise defence forces and make potentially divisive statements regarding socio-economic composition of the armed forces.