Modi to give 'proper response' to EC notice

After being held 'prima facie' guilty of violating the Model Code of Conduct, Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi on Friday said he will give a 'proper response' to the Election Commission notice to him for justifying the killing of Sohrabuddin Sheikh in a fake encounter.

Defending as just a 'political issue' his controversial utterances on the Sohrabuddin issue during a poll campaign speech in Mangrol on Tuesday, Modi told CNN-IBN, "I will give a proper response to the Election Commission notice."

Modi was served the showcause notice on Thursday and was given time till Saturday to reply. He is a candidate from Maninagar assembly constituency which goes to polls in the second phase on December 16.

Senior Bharatiya Janata Party leader Arun Jaitley said, "We will give a respectful reply to the notice that the EC has served to Modi."

"The EC is a constitutional body and we believe that it will take an 'impartial' decision in this matter." he added.

Coverage: Gujarat Elections 2007

Jaitley, the BJP in-charge of Gujarat affairs, also sought to turn the tables on the Congress after the BJP faced the opposition onslaught on Modi's comments, saying the remarks made by Congress leaders Sonia Gandhi and Digvijay Singh were also violations of the Election Code of Conduct.

Jaitley said Gandhi came to Gujarat and referred to the Gujarat government and its chief minister Narendra Modi as 'merchants of death'.

"Then Digvijay Singh talked about the existence of Hindu terrorism in Gujarat. These remarks made by Sonia Gandhi and Digvijay Singh are clearly violations of Election Code of Conduct", Jaitley claimed.

"Before serving a notice to Modi, it would have been better if the Election Commission had issued notices to both the Congress leaders for violation of the Code of Conduct," he said.