NEW DELHI/MUMBAI: The Election Commission reacted sharply to a statement by three-time MP and Dalit leader Prakash Ambedkar at a rally in Yavatmal, Maharashtra, on Thursday in which he said that he “would jail the EC for two days if voted to power”.
An EC spokesman said in New Delhi that the commission had ordered for filing of an FIR against Ambedkar. The Bharip Bahujan Mahasangh (BBM) chief threatened the EC with jail for not letting political parties speak about the Pulwama attack. “We lost 40 soldiers in Pulwama but are still sitting quietly. We have been asked not to speak on Pulwama. How can the EC gag us? Our Constitution has given us the right to speak. I am not the BJP. If voted to power, we will jail the Election Commission for two days,” he said.
Ambedkar, the grandson of Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, is contesting the elections from Solapur and Akola in Maharashtra as a candidate of Vanchit Bahujan Aghadi.
Additional chief electoral officer Dilip Shinde said in Mumbai, “We have sought a report from the local poll officers where Ambedkar made the alleged remark. We have also asked the officers to submit the report by today itself.” Ambedkar said he had made a general statement, but regretted that only his comment was singled out.