Congress moves EC over Modi's 'khooni panja' barb

Congress, on Saturday, moved the Election Commission over Narendra Modi's controversial "khooni panja" barb at the party during a rally in Chhattisgarh, seeking "stern action" against BJP's prime ministerial candidate.

Slamming Modi for his alleged "intemperate, malicious and defamatory" remarks, Congress party in its communication to Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath said that by describing the hand symbol of Congresss as "Khooni Panja" and "Jalim Hath" Modi is using derogatory language even for the Commission since it has reference to the symbol allotted by the Commission.

"The use of the expression 'khooni panja' is extremely significant and deplorable and has an effect of terrorising the public at large against Congress," the party said.

The party also sent to the EC a DVD of Modi's speech at Dongargarh delivered on Thursday when he had made the remarks as well as clippings of a newspaper report. "The tone, tenor and language used by him (Modi) apparently shows that he has intentionally and deliberately used abusive words and remarks.

The code permits criticism of other political parties confining to their policies and programme, their past record of work, but the statement made by him is not a criticism as contemplated under this clause but he is using intemperate language which is also malicious and defamatory. "He even goes on to criticize the Congress party based on unverified allegations, rather deliberately he has distorted the facts to mislead and misrepresent to the public at large.

Since this programme was also televised by the electronic media, these statements made by him were also shown in different parts of the country," Secretary of AICC legal department KC Mittal said in the communication. Congress' complaint to the EC follows days after BJP had complained to the poll watchdog against Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi's "ISI" remarks about Mujaffarnagar communal violence victims, which had created a huge political controversy. The party also sent the EC the text of Modi's speech in which the BJP leader had made the remarks.