The grand alliance moved the Election Commission on Friday demanding that action should be initiated against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) chief Amit Shah for attempting to gather votes on caste and communal lines in poll-bound Bihar.
Asserting that the responsibility of conducting fair elections in the country lies with the Election Commission, Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala said the Mahagathbandhan has expressed disappointment over the way the fairness of the elections is being affected and the way the poll body is unable to stop it.
"Asking for votes on caste lines and provoking the people on the basis of castes is totally prohibited in our country. When Lalu Yadav spoke about forward and backward castes, the EC asked for an FIR to be filed against him. Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried to divide the people of Bihar on caste lines during his address. We have today reminded the EC that like Lalu Yadav, an FIR should be filed against the Prime Minister Modi for making such a speech," said Surjewala.
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"The BJP is giving advertisements in papers which can provoke the religious sentiments. The BJP president has insulted people of Bihar and questioned their nationalism by saying that Pakistan will celebrate if BJP loses in Bihar. We have asked the EC to file FIR against BJP leaders, Amit Shah and Prime Minister Modi," he added.
Janata Dal (United) leader K.C. Tyagi echoing similar sentiments expressed his disappointment with the Election Commission's laidback attitude in this regard.
"The way the Bihar polls is moving ahead, this is the fifth time that we are moving the Election Commission. We regret that the readiness with which the Election Commission must have acted, they have failed to fulfil this responsibility of theirs. We have expressed our dissatisfaction today. The last time we came, we said that the Prime minister is using his caste to gather votes. He has said in his public rallies that people must vote for him because he belonged to the Dalit community. When Lalu Prasad ji said the same thing, an FIR was registered against him then why not against the Prime minister," Tyagi said.
"Secondly, the newspapers of Bihar are publishing advertisements addressing us (grand alliance) as a sympathiser of terrorist groups and calling us an extremist outfit. The Election Commission has taken no steps against it. We have given proof of these and said that any such publication must be stopped as it is against the Model Code of Conduct," he added.
Tyagi further said the language used by Amit Shah yesterday was an insult to the Dalits, backward classes, working classes and the deprived people of Bihar.
"Using such a language in a democracy does not only raise a question on the spirit of patriotism, but is also against the Model Code of Conduct. When V. Sampath was the Chief Election Commissioner last year, he had put a ban on him from addressing rallies. Therefore, an FIR must be lodged against him (Amit Shah). Amit Shah must be sent to Gujarat so that the Bihar polls go smoothly. His presence in the state is creating tensions," he added.
