India
Karnataka polls: EC seeks clarification from Congress on ‘sovereignty’ remark made by Sonia Gandhi | Karnataka Election News
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NEW DELHI: The Election Commission on Monday asked Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to clarify and rectify a post made from the party’s Twitter handle on May 6, which cites a message from Congress parliamentary party (CPP) chairperson Sonia Gandhi to “6.5 crore Kannadigas” that “the party will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka’s reputation, sovereignty or integrity”.
The letter followed a complaint from the BJP alleging that “Karnataka is a very important member state in the Union of India and any call to protect the sovereignty of a member states of the Union of India amounts to a call for secession and is fraught with perilous and pernicious counsequences”. Claiming that the tweet violates Section 29A(5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which requires any association or body registered under the Act to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India and “uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India”, BJP requested EC to consider revoking the registration of the Congress and initiate action under the model code of conduct.
The EC, in its letter to Kharge, however limited itself to requesting him “to clarify and take rectification measures in respect of the social media post which has been put up on the INC Twitter handle and attributed to Chairperson CPP”. No time-limit was specified for doing the needful.
In a complaint submitted to EC on Monday, BJP had cited “generally accepted essentials of a sovereign state”. These include space with internationally recognised boundaries; people who live there on an ongoing basis; regulations governing foreign and domestic trade; ability to use legal tender that is recognised across boundaries; which maintains its defence forces; has an internationally recognised government with the right to make treaties and wage war; and over whose territory no other state should have power.
“This call to protect the sovereignty of Karnataka follows a pattern of mischievous and intentional indiscretions committed by the Congress party….Not just that, such pronouncements and actions are in clear violation of mandatory oaths and pledges to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India and uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India,” alleged the BJP.
The letter followed a complaint from the BJP alleging that “Karnataka is a very important member state in the Union of India and any call to protect the sovereignty of a member states of the Union of India amounts to a call for secession and is fraught with perilous and pernicious counsequences”. Claiming that the tweet violates Section 29A(5) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which requires any association or body registered under the Act to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India and “uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India”, BJP requested EC to consider revoking the registration of the Congress and initiate action under the model code of conduct.
The EC, in its letter to Kharge, however limited itself to requesting him “to clarify and take rectification measures in respect of the social media post which has been put up on the INC Twitter handle and attributed to Chairperson CPP”. No time-limit was specified for doing the needful.
In a complaint submitted to EC on Monday, BJP had cited “generally accepted essentials of a sovereign state”. These include space with internationally recognised boundaries; people who live there on an ongoing basis; regulations governing foreign and domestic trade; ability to use legal tender that is recognised across boundaries; which maintains its defence forces; has an internationally recognised government with the right to make treaties and wage war; and over whose territory no other state should have power.
“This call to protect the sovereignty of Karnataka follows a pattern of mischievous and intentional indiscretions committed by the Congress party….Not just that, such pronouncements and actions are in clear violation of mandatory oaths and pledges to bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India and uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India,” alleged the BJP.
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