BJP MP and Hamirpur candidate Anurag Thakur today accused Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi of violating the Model Code of Conduct and filed a complaint with the Election Commission seeking action in this regard.
Thakur said the allegations made by Gandhi at a recent election rally in the state were false and intended to influence the electorate against him.
Referring section 123(4) of Representation of People's Act (RPA), Thakur asked the EC to take "stringent penal action" against Gandhi as it deemed fit and necessary to enforce RPA and the Model Code of Conduct.
Gandhi had violated section 123(4) of RPA by making false and unverified statements against Thakur, the complaint said.
On Gandhi's allegations, the complaint clarified that the government continues to be owner of lands leased to Himachal Pradesh Cricket Association (HPCA) which was paying a lease amount of Rs 27 lakh per annum, and not Re 1 as alleged.
BJP spokesperson Ganesh Dutt criticised Gandhi for alleging that government land worth Rs 250 crore was given to HPCA free of cost.
"The baseless allegation of Rahul Gandhi is an expression of frustration due to impending defeat in Lok sabha polls," he said, adding that the Congress vice-president should have verified the facts before making any statement.
He said that the government had ordered a probe into the matter and claimed that the Vigilance Bureau has assessed the value of land for the cricket stadium at Rs 5.2 crore, hotel pavilion at Rs 15 crore, land at Pragyati Nagar and Nadaun at Rs 3 crore and 5 crore respectively which totalled to Rs 23 crores and not Rs 250 crore as alleged.
He also asked Gandhi to name the book in which he has read that the second RSS chief M S Golwalkar was opposed to voting rights for women.
