NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India on Wednesday issued a stern notice to Mallikarjun Kharge over his alleged “terrorist” remark against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The poll body directed Kharge, who is also the Leader of Opposition in the Rajya Sabha, to submit his reply within 24 hours.
The ECI said in its notice, “The commission is prima-facie of the opinion that Mallikarjun Kharge, who is also a star campaigner of the INC in the elections to the Tamil Nadu legislative Assembly has violated the aforesaid provisions of the MCC and relevant instructions issued by the commission brought out earlier.” It also noted that in the event of no response “from your side within the time limit stipulated, it will be presumed that you have nothing to say in the matter.”
The move came shortly after a BJP delegation met the Commission’s full bench and demanded strict action. The delegation included Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman, Kiren Rijiju, and Arjun Ram Meghwal, as well as other party leaders. A senior official said the Commission had taken serious note of Kharge’s statement and issued a formal notice asking him to explain his position within the given time.
The official added that such remarks were being examined in context of poll conduct. After meeting the Commission, Rijiju said that calling the Prime Minister a “terrorist” was a serious insult to the nation. He described the remark as unacceptable and urged immediate action, stating that such language should not become normal in political discourse.
The row began on Tuesday when Kharge, speaking at a press conference in Chennai, criticised the alliance between the AIADMK and the BJP. During his remarks, he referred to the PM using the disputed term. When questioned by journalists, Kharge clarified that he did not mean it literally but was referring to what he described as the prime minister “terrorising” democratic institutions.
Kharge said the government was misusing its power. The Congress alleged that the EC notice was evidence of its functioning as an attached office of the Union home ministry, and its behaviour is an assault on the Constitution.
Move follows BJP demand for an apology
The BJP had earlier urged the commission to intervene and direct Kharge to apologise publicly. The BJP also argued that using terms associated with terror against political opponents could harm the electoral atmosphere. It further requested steps to prevent wider circulation of the remark across media and digital platforms.
