New Delhi, May 11:The Election Commission has issued a fresh show-cause notice to Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu for prima facie violating the Model Code of Conduct by allegedly making disparaging remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
He was given a day to reply to the notice that was issued on Friday by the commission. The poll panel had received a complaint from the BJP that Sidhu, during a rally in Madhya Pradesh on April 29, had made disparaging comments about Modi.
He had reportedly accused the Prime Minister of “making money in the Rafale jet deal” and also “allowing” the rich to escape the country after “robbing” nationalised banks.The poll panel had in April censured Sidhu for allegedly warning the Muslim community that efforts were on to divide their votes in Bihar and it barred him from campaigning for 72 hours.
‘Kale Angrez’
Sidhu continued to stir controversy despite the notice. In a controversial speech at a rally in Indore on Saturday called the BJP “Kale Angrez” (black Englishmen) and likening Prime Minister Narendra Modi to a bride who pretends to do work. His statements were condemned by the BJP as “racist” and “sexist” mindset of the Congress.
Sidhu said the Congress was the party of Maulana Abul Kalam Azad and Mahatma Gandhi that fought for the Independence of India from British rule, and urged the people to save the country by voting the BJP out of power.
“They (Azad and Gandhi) gave us freedom from the white and the people of Indore will free this country from the ‘Kale Angrez’,” Sidhu said.
Sharpening his attack on Modi, the Congress leader said: “Modiji is like that bride who makes less ‘rotis’ and more noise so that the neighbourhood thinks that she is working. This is exactly what has happened in the Narendra Modi government.” Sidhu’s comments were countered by BJP spokeperson Sambit Patra, who reminded the Congress of its senior leader Sonia Gandhi’s Italy connection.
“Sidhu has exposed the mindset of the Congress by calling Hindustanis ‘Kale Angrez’. Modi may not be fair, but he has a big heart and takes care of the poor. People love him,” Patra said, quoting a famous Bollywood song, “Hum kale hain toh kya hua dilwale hain.” The BJP leader further said that the Congress should not be arrogant of its “Italian colour”.
“This Italian colour too will fade away on May 23,” he said, adding that this was new India where women didn’t just exist to make bread at home, but to carry the country forward.
Terming Sidhu’s remarks as height of sycophancy, Patra said the Punjab Minister seemed to be okay with the colour of Warren Anderson, Ottavio Quattrocchi and Christen Michel, but Modi looked like a “Kala Angrez” to him.
“Sidhu has shown the mentality of the Congress, which is racist as well as sexist. This is the reality of the Congress, which has no respect for either Sikhs, Indians or women,” Patra said.
Union minister Thawar Chand Gehlot Saturday also condemned the remarks. Gehlot said: “Sidhu’s racist remark is condemnable. India is the biggest democracy in the world and there has never been discrimination among Indians on the basis of colour. But nowadays, Sidhu has been continuously giving irrelevant and malicious statements”.
“Once there was apartheid and fight between blacks and whites in South Africa. Now, this kind of tussle has come to an end in the world. Therefore, Sidhu’s use of indecent words is absolutely inappropriate,” Gehlot said. Agencies
