Assam Election: The Congress last week defended Badruddin Ajmal.
The Election Commission has directed has Assam's Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to probe a video linked to AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal, which triggered a controversy recently. The All India United Democratic Front or AIUDF is part of Congress-led Grand Alliance or "Mahajoth" in Assam that is ready to give a tough fight to the ruling BJP.
Activist Saket Gokhale had filed a petition with the poll body over the video, which was widely shared on social media.
Responding to Mr Gokhale, the Election Commission said that Assam Director General of Police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta has "entrusted the probe to the CID which has been directed to use all investigative means, including forensics".
The purported video gives the impression that AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal said "the Congress-AIUDF alliance will turn India into an Islamic nation".
The video, however, has been taken from Badruddin Ajmal's speech during 2019 Lok Sabha elections where he did not say any such thing
In the original video, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal said: "The Mughals ruled India for 800 years but they never dreamt of making it an Islamic state. Did they make it? They never tried. Then, the British ruled India for 200 years but they never dared make it a Christian state."
Badruddin Ajmal has been tagged by the ruling BJP as "communal" and the party has been questioning the Congress on its alliance.
Speaking to NDTV last week, the AIUDF chief said: "I am not the only target for the BJP, they want to finish me off politically. They know I have a hold on about 35 per cent votes. If it works my way, they will not remain in power. I can sway these votes in favour of the alliance."
Defending Badrudding Ajmal, Congress leader Pradyut Bordoloi had earlier said: "We have never said that the AIUDF is a communal party. Unlike BJP, Ajmal does not spew religious venom. The AIUDF, of course, and always tries to take with a handholding attitude has tried to uplift their own community which is downtrodden and weak. But in the process, they have never spread any venom or hatred. They have never said anything about Hindus, to destroy mandir... They were working for the upliftment of their own community. That is not communalism. We are forming this alliance with a Common Minimum Programme".
Assam will vote for a new government in three phases starting March 27 and results on May 2. The state is expected to see a spirited fight this time between the ruling BJP, battling resentment over issues like the centre's new citizenship law, and the alliance between the Congress and AIUDF.