Kharge Faces EC Action After Controversial Comment on Modi

The Election Commission of India has issued a show-cause notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge over remarks in which he referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi as a "terrorist," stating that the comment appears to violate the Model Code of Conduct.

The notice, issued on Wednesday, asks Kharge to respond within 24 hours. The Commission warned that failure to reply would lead it to proceed with a decision based on available records, without further consultation.

The EC had earlier sent a notice citing complaints from Union minister Kiren Rijiju and Trinamool Congress leader Derek O'Brien. However, it later withdrew that version and reissued a corrected notice, clarifying that O'Brien's name had been included inadvertently.

The development comes just a day before polling in the states of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal.

Kharge made the controversial remark during a press conference in Chennai while criticising the alliance between the AIADMK and the Bharatiya Janata Party. Questioning the partnership, he invoked the ideological legacy of C N Annadurai and Periyar E V Ramasamy.

In his initial remarks, Kharge referred to the prime minister as a "terrorist," drawing strong criticism from BJP leaders. He later clarified that he did not mean the term literally, stating that he was referring to what he described as the "terrorising" of political opponents.

"He is terrorising people and political parties," Kharge said, adding that he was accusing the government of misusing state machinery and central agencies to target the opposition.

Rijiju had earlier approached the Election Commission, alleging that Kharge's statement violated provisions of the Model Code of Conduct as well as the Bharatiya Nyay Sanhita.

In its notice, the Commission emphasised that political criticism must avoid unverified allegations or distortions, as outlined under the poll code.