NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued an order barring ex-Telangana chief minister and Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) chief K Chandrashekar Rao from campaigning for 48 hours for making "derogatory" and "objectionable remarks" against Congress.
The EC said his remarks at a press conference Sircilla on April 5 were violative of the provisions of the model code of conduct and its advisories.
"The Commission, under Article 324 of the Constitution of India and all other powers enabling in this behalf, bars Sh. K. Chandrashekar Rao, President, BRS, from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, shows and interviews, public utterances in media (electronic, print, social media), etc. in connection with ongoing elections for 48 hours from 8:00 PM on May 1, 2024," the poll panel's order read.
The English transcript of his statement provided by the EC in its order shows he used invectives against the Congress, which rules Telangana.
The BRS leader, at a press meet in Sircilla on April 5, had referred to the congress leaders as "sons of dogs" and called the state government the "government of lathkhors" and "pakka chavatas, daddammas, chetakani chavatas" (You are useless, fellow).
Later, TPCC senior vice president G Niranjan, in a complaint to the ECI on April 6, claimed that KCR had disparaged and offended Congress lawmakers at the April 5 news conference.
In its show cause notice to KCR, the poll panel noted that he had violated the model code of conduct even after issuing several instructions regarding his speech. The election authority had also indicated that if KCR does not respond within time, the Commission will take appropriate action.
In his reply to a show-cause notice issued by the poll authority, Rao had claimed that his words were "twisted". He also said the local poll officials could not follow the local Telugu dialect.
The order served on him reminded him that Rao had violated the poll code in past elections too. While strongly condemning him, the Commission used its constitutional powers to ban him from campaigning.
The 48-hour ban of the former Telangana chief minister comes into force at 8 pm on Wednesday.
After Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala, Rao is the second politician to be banned from campaigning for 48 hours in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.