The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi in response to his remarks targeting Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The notice follows a BJP complaint to the poll panel seeking action against both Rahul Gandhi and Mallikarjun Kharge for their comments against the Prime Minister.
During his electoral campaign in Rajasthan's Jalore, Congress leader Rahul Gandhi referred to Prime Minister Modi as 'panauti' (bad omen), attributing him to India's loss in the ICC Cricket World Cup 2023. Gandhi asserted that the team was performing well until the Prime Minister arrived at the Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad to witness the final match between India and Australia. "Our boys would have won the world cup, but panauti made them lose," Gandhi reportedly stated in a poll rally. "TV people won't show you this, but people of the country know this," he added.
The BJP strongly reacted to Rahul's remark, labeling him "mandbudhi" (dim-witted) and anti-national.
In another election rally, Rahul made additional comments, stating, “Pickpockets always come in groups of three. He never comes alone. The first person tries to distract you by saying something unconventional. Then comes the second person, his colleague, who picks the pocket, and the third person keeps a watch on the victim. He particularly monitors the victim to see if he is resisting. If he does resist, then the third person attacks and threatens the victim. This is the way pickpockets operate. The one who diverts attention is Narendra Modi, the one who is pickpocketing is Adani, and the person who threatens is Amit Shah.”