Giriraj Singh's remark 'highly provocative': Election Commission

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission today censured BJP leader Giriraj Singh and condemned as "highly provocative" his 'back Narendra Modi or go to Pakistan' remark made during poll campaign in Jharkhand and Bihar.

The EC censured him after considering his reply to its notice issued to him earlier and after seeing a video recording of his speeches made in Deoghar and Bokaro during campaign and held that the speeches were "highly provocative".

The poll body had earlier banned him from campaigning after his remarks made on April 18 and issued a show cause notice to him separately.

The EC said it "is convinced that he has made highly provocative speech which had the impact of aggravating existing differences or create mutual hatred between different communities, religious or linguistics, and thus violative of aforesaid provision of Model Code of Conduct."

"The Commission, hereby, condemns the impugned statement made by him during election meetings held at Deoghar and Bokaro and censures Shri Giriraj Singh of Bharatiya Janata Party for the above said misconduct," an EC order said today.

Cracking the whip, the EC had on April 22 banned him from campaigning in Jharkhand and Bihar for his controversial remarks that people who do not vote for Narendra Modi will have to find a place in Pakistan.

Singh is a former Bihar minister and candidate in Nawada Lok Sabha constituency in Bihar.