Congress approaches Election Commission against Amit Shah's remarks on Rahul Gandhi

NEW DELHI: Congress today approached the Election Commission, alleging that BJP President Amit Shah violated the model code by making "defamatory" remarks against Rahul Gandhi over the JNU row which could "mislead" voters in the five poll-bound states.

In a memorandum to the poll body, Congress said Shah told a party conclave in Vrindavan that Gandhi supported anti-India slogans raised on JNU campus.

"Such malicious and defamatory statements have been deliberately and intentionally made at a time when electoral exercise has commenced in five states," the memorandum said.

While elections to Tamil Nadu, West Bengal, Assam, Kerala and Puducherry were announced on March 4, the statement was made the next day after the Model Code of Conduct came into force, Congress said.

The party has made similar allegations against BJP Vice-President Om Mathur, saying his remarks against Gandhi and Congress had also appeared in newspapers in the five states going to assembly polls.

The party demanded that the EC take "stern action" against the BJP leaders.