Modi gets reprieve, Sonia EC notice

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi seems to have got a reprieve from the Election Commission for his controversial remarks at an election rally last week. He has even managed to put the ball in the Congress court.

The commission, after studying Modi's reply to its notice, issued for allegedly justifying a fake encounter of a suspected terrorist, has deferred its ruling.

However, it has sent notices to Congress President Sonia Gandhi and General Secretary Digvijay Singh asking them to explain their election speeches in Gujarat.

Modi, in his letter, which he himself calls a "preliminary reply," has pointed out the inconsistencies in the media reports on his speech. He has even sent the commission an original recording of the speech, which he says is different from all that has been reported so far.

Modi's reply was considered at a meeting of the full commission headed by Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami today.

Interestingly, Modi, through his reply, turned the tables on the Congress by pointing out the implied abuses allegedly showered on him by Gandhi and Singh.

The commission took cognisance of Modi's grievances and sent notices to the two Congress leaders. Modi referred to Sonia's alleged reference to him as a "maut ka saudagar" (a merchant of death) and Singh's remarks that Gujarat had many "Hindu terrorists".