EC writes to Mallikarjun Kharge after Randeep Surjewala comments on Hema Malini

New Delhi: Shooting off a show-cause notice to Congress general secretary Randeep Surjewala for his comments on BJP MP Hema Malini, ECI has also written to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, taking "serious note of the repeated violations" by senior functionaries of the party.

ECI has directed that it be intimated by Friday about the "steps taken by the party to ensure strict compliance of ECI advisories relating to honour and dignity of women during public discourse".

The communication to Kharge reminds of its recent 'strong censuring' of the party's social media head Supriya Shrinate for her X comments on BJP candidate Kangana Ranaut. It also reminds of its letter to him that followed, asking that he issue a 'specific advisory' to party functionaries not to commit such violations.


"It is unfortunate that despite the commission bringing it to the notice of the party at your level, the campaigners of the Indian National Congress are still indulging in utterances that are repugnant to the honour and dignity of women," the ECI said in its letter to Kharge.

The election panel had informed Kharge that it expected that such a 'serious issue' taken up at his level would have had a 'restraining effect'.

ECI has termed Surjewala's comments on Hemamalini as "highly undignified, vulgar and uncivilised".