EC issues notice to Congress leader for comparing Narendra Modi to a monkey

Ahmedabad: The Election Commission on Thursday sent a notice to Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhwadia for comparing Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi to a monkey. Modhwadia has been asked to file his reply by November 24.

BJP MP and state unit General Secretary Balkrishna Shukla had filed a complaint with the Commission about Modhwadia's speech in Vadodara on November 2 when he made the controversial comments. The Commission sent the notice to Modhwadia after listening to the CD containing his speech.

The notice said that Modhwadia's remarks prima facie violated Model Code of Conduct which prohibits personal attacks on the leaders of rival political parties. "The Commission hereby gives notice to you to show cause as to why action should not be taken against you, for the violation of the Model Code of Conduct," said the EC notice issued on Wednesday and signed by its secretary Harbans Singh.

Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhwadia has been asked to file his reply by November 24.

The EC has also directed Modhwadia to submit his response by November 24 and added that, "failing which it would be assumed that you have nothing to say in the matter and appropriate action will be taken against you without any further reference to you."

At a rally in Junagadh on November 2, Modhwadia while hinting at the Chief Minister, had said that some people had been bitten by dogs and keep on taking Prime Minister Manmohan Singh’s name at regular intervals. He said such people were dreaming of becoming the prime minister of the country.

Modhwadia went on to equate Manmohan Singh with a lion and said that a monkey sitting on the top of a tree was trying to challenge the lion while speaking at a rally on Tuesday in Junagarh.

He went on to say that a Nobel Prize for telling lies should be constituted and given to Modi. He claimed that Modi had announced packages worth crores for Gujarat but it had not been mentioned in the state budget.

(With additional information from PTI)

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