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Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi’s close aide, Amit Shah’s, comment that Azamgarh in Uttar Pradesh was a “base of terrorists” triggered demands by BJP’s rivals for his arrest and a ban by the Election Commission (EC) on his entry into the northern state for campaigning.
As the controversial comment made on Sunday sparked condemnation by non-BJP parties, Modi and Shah were also accused of carrying out a “communal campaign”.
“Such a statement violating code of conduct could vitiate law and order in Azamgarh and eastern UP. Gujarat can also be termed as a base of communalism and crime. I demand Election Commission again ban Shah in Uttar Pradesh,” Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati told reporters in Lucknow.
The former UP chief minister also said that if some persons of Azamgarh district did anything wrong, be it Hindu or Muslim, it did not mean all the people were terrorists.
Meanwhile, Meem Afzal and Imran Masood from the Congress demanded immediate arrest of Shah.
Imran said the EC should put a countrywide ban on campaigning by the BJP leaders for spreading communal tension.
“The EC should not only order filing of an FIR against Shah, but also order his immediate arrest,” Afzal said.
During the course of the ongoing Lok Sabha campaign, Shah has already been banned once by the EC for alleged hate remark last month before it was lifted by the poll body. “Modi and Amit Shah have come back to communal campaign from development. They have forgotten involvement of Sanghi activists in Modasa bomb blast,” Congress leader Digvijaya Singh said on micro-blogging site Twitter.
Former Samajwadi Party leader Kamal Faruqui condemned the comment of Shah for associating terrorism with a place or community.
“It is highly condemnable to defame a place or community for terrorism. Amit Shah can’t keep control on his tongue. He has already faced EC ire. Elections will be over in next 10-12 days but hatred is being developed in people’s heart,” he said.
Shah, who is BJP’s in-charge for UP said on Sunday that Azamgarh is a base of terrorists as there is no fear of the state government, which is advocating their release.
