Election panel to review BJP's 'communal' CD

In what could spell trouble for the BJP on assembly poll eve in UP, the Election Commission has called for a copy of the allegedly “communal” CD released by the party’s Lucknow unit on Tuesday.

The Commission has also instructed the chief electoral officer of UP to gather authentic information on the source behind the making, release and circulation of the CD, Nirvachan Sadan sources said.

The EC, sources added, is expected to receive the CD’s copy by Wednesday evening, following which it will view its contents. According to television channels who received the alleged CD, its contents were “highly provocative and inflammatory against a particular community.” The contents of the CD allegedly comprise footage of Babri structure as well as the Godhra carnage.

Even though the BJP leadership here, embarrassed by the surfacing of the CD, clarified that it had been withdrawn, the late action may not cut much ice with the EC which has already declared its intentions to crack down upon any attempts by political parties in UP to incite communal passions for electoral advantage.

Once the Commission corroborates the communal contents of the CD and corroborates that the BJP was behind release and distribution of the CD, the party runs the risk of stern action by the EC, which could be as serious as a show-cause notice for cancellation of the BJP’s symbol.

The BJP is obviously embarrassed by the faux pas on the part of its UP unit in release of the controversial CD just three days before the first phase of polling. UP BJP president Kesrinath Tripathi said the CD was supposed to go to the EC for vetting and was to be released only after clearance from the poll panel.

Disowning its contents, Mr Tripathi said he was not aware what the CD contained. UP leader Lalji Tandon too has pleaded ignorance about the contents of the CD even though the acknowledgements made in the disc include his name.