Jolt to Congress, EC bars Surjewala campaign over Hema Malini remarks

The Election Commission on Tuesday barred Congress leader Randeep Surjewala from campaigning for 48 hours over his alleged derogatory remarks against Bharatiya Janata Party MP Hema Malini.

This is the first campaign ban imposed by the poll body in this Lok Sabha election cycle.

The Election Commission last Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to Surjewala for his alleged "undignified, uncivilised and vulgar" remarks against Malini.

The poll body said it has carefully gone through the contents and averments made in the reply of Surjewala.

"The commission without prejudice to any order/notice issued or to be issued subsequently to him in the matter relating to MCC violations, hereby, strongly condemns the impugned statement made by him during the election campaign held in Haryana and reprimands Randeep Surjewala for the misconduct," the poll watchdog said.

The commission, under Article 324 of the Constitution and all other powers enabling in this behalf, bars Surjewala from holding any public meetings, public processions, public rallies, road shows and interviews, public utterances in media (electronic, print, social media) etc, in connection with ongoing elections for 48 hours from 6 pm on April 16, it said.

In its notice to Surjewala, the EC had said that on careful examination, the comments were found to be "highly undignified, vulgar and uncivilised" and to be prima facie violative of the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and the poll panel's advisory issued to parties last month.