On Chunnu-Munnu dig, poll body has a word of caution

New Delhi, Oct 30: The Election Commission today said the "chunnu-munnu" remarks made by BJP's Kailash Vijayvargiya against Congress's Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath were in violation of the poll code provisions and advised the senior BJP leader not to use "any such word" in his public utterances during the model code period.

The commission had issued a notice to the BJP leader on October 26 seeking his reply.

According to the notice, the statement made in Sanwer, Indore, during an election rally on October 14 against the two was found to be in violation of the provisions of the model code.

The BJP leader had also dubbed them as "gaddar" or "traitors".

Bypolls to 28 Madhya Pradesh Assembly seats will be held on November 3 for which campaigning is on.

In his response, Kailash Vijayvargiya said the remarks quoted in the notice are in complete misunderstanding of its context.

The complaint is in an election driven narrative of the Congress party to change the course of the election, he said.

The BJP leader also said that "abiding by the directions of the Election Commission and the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct is paramount for him as well as every party worker of the BJP, and he has highest regard of the same."

The order said the Election Commission has carefully considered the matter "and is of considered view that Kailash Vijayvargiya has violated Para (2) of Part I of the General Conduct Model Code of Conduct for the Guidance of Political Parties and Candidates".

The Election Commission advised Kailash Vijayvargiya that "while making public utterances he should not use any such word or statement during the period of Model Code of Conduct."