Gujarat election: Keshubhai seeks EC action against Sidhu

Taking umbrage at Navjot Singh Sidhu's remark in which he termed him as an "anti-national leader", Gujarat Parivartan Party president Keshubhai Patel on Saturday appealed to the Election Commission to take suo motu action against the Bharatiya Janata Party MP and his party.

"I urge the EC to take suo moto action against Sidhu and the BJP," he said.

Addressing a public rally in Visavadar assembly constituency in Junagadh district recently, the former cricketer, campaigning for BJP candidate Kanubhai Bhalala, had termed Keshubhai as an "anti national" leader.

Terming Sidhu's remark as an instance of inciting people in the name of religion, he urged the poll panel to step in. Keshubhai alleged that Sidhu made the comment at the behest of the BJP and Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. "The BJP and Modi are afraid of GPP and that is why they are resorting to such tactics," he added.

Daring Modi to point out any instance of anti-national activity against him, he said he should be hanged if there is an iota of truth in the allegation. "Calling me anti-national tantamount to comparing me with Kasab. Anti-national citizens are hanged," he said. "The BJP is ready to go at any level to win this election and its comments are highly condemnable."

Keshubhai, who broke away with the BJP to form the new outfit, alleged the saffron party itself was the "biggest killer of cows and the highest seller of gauchar (grazing) land". He said common people will make the BJP bite the dust in the upcoming polls.

The Lehua Patel leader is contesting from the Visavadar assembly seat against two-time sitting BJP MLA Kanubhai Bhalala. The Congress has not fielded any candidate from the seat.

Visavadar and 86 other assembly seats, spread across Saurashtra, South Gujarat and four talukas in western Ahmedabad, will go to polls in the first phase of voting on December 13, while 97 constituencies spread across Kutch in Western Gujarat and central and northern parts of the state on December 17.

Counting of votes will be held on December 20.

Meanwhile, a private complaint seeking registration of a criminal defamation case against Sidhu over his remarks about Patel has been filed with a magistrate's court in Rajkot.

Chief Judicial Magistrate A A Vyas is likely to give his ruling on the complaint on Monday.

Complainant Bipin Jagjivan Rughani said that Sidhu's comment was an insult to the "whole of Gujarat state".