'Questions Integrity of Kannadigas': BJP's Complaint to EC Over Sonia Gandhi's 'Sovereignty' Remark

A day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi slammed Sonia Gandhi for her ‘sovereignty’ remark with respect to Karnataka at an election rally, the BJP filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India against the former Congress chief. In its complaint, the BJP alleged that the “shocking statement” was “divisive in nature” and could further lead to division on the basis of language as well as statehood.

At her first rally in Hubballi on Saturday, ahead of the May 10 assembly elections, Gandhi had said her party will not allow anyone to pose a threat to the state’s “reputation, sovereignty or integrity”. The saffron camp asked the poll body to issue directions to register an FIR for the use of the word ‘sovereignty’.

Reacting to this, the prime minister at a rally in Mysuru said the Congress was openly advocating for the separation of the state from India and the “disease of the ‘tukde-tukde gang’ (anti-national elements) has reached the top level of the Congress”.

In its complaint to the Election Commission, the BJP noted that “sovereign” by definition means an independent nation. “When a country becomes independent, that country is called a sovereign country. India is a sovereign country and the state of Karnataka is a proud part in (of) it. Till today (date), no one raised any question about the integrity of Kannadigas with the sovereignty of the nation,” the complaint stated as per news agency PTI.

It added: “The meaning of what Congress is saying is that the Congress believes that Karnataka is separate from India. This statement is divisive in nature; it is aimed at dividing the citizens and creating a rift between two people of different states. Karnataka is not different from India. This is a shocking statement leading to igniting divisive sentiments and to create disharmony in the society.”

While sources in the Congress denied that Gandhi said this in her speech, the official Twitter handle of the party quotes her as doing so and has not yet removed the tweet or issued an official clarification.

The Congress had tweeted: “CPP Chairperson Smt. Sonia Gandhi ji sends a strong message to 6.5 crore Kannadigas: ‘The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka’s reputation, sovereignty or integrity’.”

Describing this statement as “shocking and unacceptable”, union minister Shobha Karandlaje, who filed the complaint, said Gandhi had violated provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and requested the EC to take stringent action against her for making “such a statement”. Karandlaje, convener of the BJP election management committee, also requested the EC to take exemplary punitive action.

“This is an insult to freedom fighters from Karnataka, who fought for India’s independence. It is an insult to crores of patriotic Kannadigas, who swear by India and cherish their Indianness,” she said.

Meanwhile, there was more backlash by the BJP on social media with union sports minister Anurag Thakur accusing the Congress of a “deep conspiracy to disintegrate India”. He tweeted: “By referring to ‘Karnataka’s sovereignty’, Sonia Gandhi Ji, you have revealed the Congress’s deep conspiracy to disintegrate India. People have not forgotten how the Congress government, going against public sentiment, mischievously introduced a separate flag for Karnataka to mock our allegiance to the ‘One Nation, One Flag’. Neither Sonia Gandhi Ji nor her party ever accepted India as a nation. Kannadigas will foil the Congress’s game plan. #DeshVirodhiCONgress”

On Sunday, the BJP’s national IT cell head Amit Malviya also reacted Gandhi’s comments. He said: “Sonia Gandhi spoke about Karnataka’s ‘sovereignty’… A sovereign by definition is an independent nation. Does Congress think of Karnataka as independent from India? This is an insult to freedom fighters from Karnataka, who fought for India’s independence. It is an insult to millions of patriotic Kannadigas, who swear by India and cherish their Indianness. Congress’s top leadership is afflicted with ‘टुकड़े टुकड़े गैंग’ mentality. Shame on them. Karnataka will punish them. #NannaVoteModige”

Gandhi had launched a scathing attack on the BJP during the Hubballi rally and said Karnataka as well as the rest of the country could not make progress without getting rid of the ruling party’s “loot, lies, ego and hatred”. She also said the ‘Bharat Jodo Yatra’ led by her son Rahul Gandhi a few months ago was against those spreading hatred. “This was the reason that lakhs of people joined Rahul Gandhi’s 4,000-km march”.

“Neither Karnataka nor India can make progress without getting rid of the atmosphere of BJP’s loot, lies, ego and hatred,” Gandhi said. “It is everyone’s responsibility to strengthen our voice against this (BJP) government’s dark rule.”

(With PTI inputs)

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