Fed up EC bans Azam Khan, Amit Shah rallies, orders criminal charges

Taking strong cognizance to the communally-laced remarks of BJP leader Amit Shah and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan the Election Commission today ordered the Uttar Pradesh administration to deny permission to both the leaders for holding any public meetings.

"... no permission should be granted for holding any public meetings', public processions, public rallies, road shows, etc., by the district administration authorities, where the above two leaders are expected or likely to participate," the Election Commission said in its order.

BJP leader Amit Shah (L) and Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan.

The poll panel also directed the state to lodge FIRs against the duo and initiate criminal proceedings if it has not been done yet.

"... Shri Azam Khan, Minister in the Government of Uttar Pradesh, and Shri Amit Shah' Leader of the Bharatiya Janata party, have been making highly inflammatory speeches during the course of the current election campaign for general election to the House of the People from the state of Uttar Pradesh. These statements are, inter alia, promoting feelings of enmity, hatred and ill-will and creating disharmony between different religious communities on the ground of religion. Further, these provocative statements being made by them are highly prejudicial to the maintenance of harmony between different religious communities and also likely to disturb peace and public tranquility," the Election Commission observed in its order.

Amit Shah, who is a trusted aide of BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, had on Thursday allegedly exhorted Jats in the riot-hit Muzaffarnagar to use the elections as an opportunity to seek "revenge" for the riots that erupted in September last year. An FIR has also been lodged in Bijnore against Shah for allegedly for his hate speech.

Another controversial figure and Uttar Pradesh minister and Samajwadi Party leader also trod recently on communally dangerous lines by allegedly making outrageous claims that it was for Muslim soldiers and not their Hindu counterparts that India had won the Kargil war in 1999.

This attempt by Khan to divide the Indian Army on communal lines to seek polarisation of votes faced strong criticism from many quarters.

Election Commission of Lndia