3 min readNew DelhiApr 24, 2026 01:57 AM IST
A Day after the Election Commission issued a show-cause notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over his alleged remarks on Prime Minister Modi, the party Thursday, in its response to the EC, alleged the poll panel was issuing notices in a “casual” manner.
After a complaint was filed by the Bharatiya Janata Party against Kharge for allegedly calling PM Modi a “terrorist”, the EC on Wednesday evening asked Kharge to explain his stance within 24 hours, claiming that Kharge’s remarks were “highly objectionable” and in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
Submitting a summary response to the notice, the Congress party sought a hearing and more time to file a detailed reply, alleging that issuing the notice showed “non-application of mind” by the EC as the poll panel only granted it 24 hours to file a reply, despite “knowing the hectic election schedule”.
In its reply, the Congress also drew the EC’s attention to PM Modi’s address to the nation on Saturday, after the government’s “failure” to pass the Constitution (131st Amendment) Bill. “Aside from the PM’s unsuccessful attempt to camouflage that as a defeat for women’s reservation, it was more importantly, a violation of the Model Code of Conduct,” wrote Jairam Ramesh, Congress general secretary (communications).
The Congress also mentioned a social media post on BJP’s official ‘X’ account, which quoted Union Home Minister Amit Shah as saying: “Unemployed youths will be credited Rs 3000/month in account. Women, too, will get Rs 3000/month in their account. In the entire Bengal, women will be able to travel free in the Govt buses.”
Alleging Shah’s statement as “a prime example of quid pro quo”, the Congress claimed it violated Section 123 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
“Both of the above seemed to have escaped this Commission’s attention which seems ever vigilant to slights against the above, from the Opposition,” read the response by Ramesh.
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As for Kharge’s remarks in question, the party said that Kharge had already clarified them. Quoting Kharge’s clarification, the response read: “…He (PM Modi) is terrorising people and political parties. I never said he is a terrorist… What I mean, I want to clarify, is that Modi always threatens… Therefore I said, in that context, he is terrorising people and political parties. I never said he is a terrorist..”
The Congress also flagged the error by the EC while issuing the notice on Wednesday, when its initial notice mentioned Trinamool Congress MP Derek O’Brien as one of the complainants. In about half an hour, the said notice was deleted by the poll panel and a fresh version was uploaded later in the night without the TMC leader’s name. The other complainants include Union Minister Kiren Rijiju and some office-bearers of the BJP.
The Congress alleged this error indicated the “casual and routine manner” in which the EC was issuing show-cause notices merely on the basis of the “ruling party’s complainants’ versions”.
