New Delhi:
The Bharatiya Janata Party today sought one more week from the Election Commission to reply to its notice on Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi's "khooni panja" remarks against the Congress during campaigning in poll-bound Chhattisgarh.
In a letter to the poll panel, the BJP said that since its prime ministerial candidate was busy with the campaigning for elections, the party has not been able to discuss the issue with him and thus be given more time.
Mr Modi, who was served with the notice on November 13, was supposed to reply to the notice today as to why action should not be initiated against him for his remarks, allegedly in reference to the Congress poll symbol, which is a picture of a hand.
"We have asked for one more week from EC to reply to its notice to Modi as we have not been able to discuss the matter with him. Modi is busy in the last phase of the poll campaign in Chhattisgargh," said the BJP Vice-President Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.
A CD of Mr Modi's speech delivered on November 7 in Dongargarh Rajnandgaon of Chhattisgarh was obtained by the poll panel along with the remarks of the Returning Officer before the notice was served on the Gujarat Chief Minister.
The Election Commission said in its notice that if no reply is received within the prescribed time, it will be presumed that Mr Modi has nothing to say. The Commission said it would then take appropriate action without any further reference to him.
The poll panel had earlier issued a similar notice to Congress Vice- President Rahul Gandhi for his comment that victims of the Muzaffarnagar riots were approached by Pakistani intelligence agency, ISI, and accusing BJP of spreading hatred among communities.
The Election Commission expressed its displeasure to Mr Gandhi over the comments and asked him to be more circumspect in his public utterances in the future. The poll watchdog has said that since the Model Code of Conduct was in force in Chhattisgarh, criticism of other political parties is not permitted.
Chhattisgarh voted on November 11 in the first phase of the two-phase polls; November 19 is when the state votes next.