EC reprimands DMK leader A Raja for poll code violation, bars him from campaigning for 48 hours

The Election Commission on Thursday reprimanded DMK leader A Raja for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct and barred him from campaigning for the nest 48 hours in poll-bound Tamil Nadu.

LUCKNOW: The Election Commission on Thursday reprimanded DMK leader A Raja for alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct and barred him from campaigning for the next 48 hours in poll-bound Tamil Nadu.

The poll panel took action against A Raja over his alleged derogatory remarks against Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his mother during an election campaign.

EC reprimands DMK leader A Raja for violation of model code of conduct, delists his name from list of star campaigner of DMK & debars him from campaigning for 48 hrs with immediate effect upon not finding his reply regarding his remarks over Tamil Nadu CM&his mother,satisfactory. pic.twitter.com/6gosJewxUm — ANI (@ANI) April 1, 2021

The Election Commission had earlier issued a show-cause notice to DMK leader A Raja for allegedly making derogatory remarks against Edappadi K Palaniswami and his mother during an election campaign.

The former Union minister and DMK's "star campaigner" was asked to respond to the EC notice by 6 PM on Wednesday.

In its notice to A Raja, the poll body said, “based on ground reports, it is of the view that the contents of the speech made by you are not only derogatory but also obscene and lower the dignity of motherhood of women, which seems to be a serious violation of the provisions of Model Code of Conduct."

"A Raja was given an opportunity to explain his position in this regard on or before 6.00 PM on March 31, failing which the Commission shall take a decision without any further reference to you," the poll panel said.

The notice said the EC received a complaint through the state chief electoral officer from the All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (AIADMK), which alleged that Raja had made a derogatory and scandalous speech against Palaniswami during an election campaign on March 26 at Thousand Lights assembly constituency.

The notice pointed out that the Central Crime Branch has registered a case under the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act, 1951 against the DMK MP.

The EC noted that A Raja had allegedly said that (DMK leader MK) "Stalin is a child of good relationship and good birth while Palaniswami is a child of a bad relationship and a premature born child".

The EC also referred to some other remarks made by Raja against the chief minister. 

Though Raja had clarified in a public meeting in Gudalur on Sunday that he did not intend to defame Palaniswami or his late mother, but was making a comparison between the leadership qualities of his party chief M K Stalin and the CM, using a children's analogy.