Congress takes potshots at BJP for charging it of breaking EC rules

Chennai, Feb 22 (ANI): Congress Party on Wednesday hit out at the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for charging it of violating the Model Code of Conduct, and said that the opposition is doing it for ulterior political motives.

Congress spokesperson Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that his party has never intended or attempted directly or indirectly to bring into disrepute the Election Commission of India.

"As far as the merits of certain cases are concerned, I am myself advising and appearing in them. So, I don't want to comment on that. All I want to say is that the stand is very clear of the Congress Party. We have never intended or attempted directly or indirectly to bring into disrepute the Election Commission, to try to challenge his authority. We believe in institutions, unlike the BJP, we do not weaken them," said Singhvi.

"Merits of an individual case is open to adjudication between the Election Commission and the individual concern, but to generalise it for political purposes in a statement is purely the BJP, which is doing for ulterior political motives," he added.

The BJP had earlier on Tuesday dubbed Congress as a party of 'serial offenders' with several of its leaders defying the model code of conduct and going against the Election Commission (EC).

"Congress leaders, both big and small, have violated the model code. It has become a party of serial offenders of the model code. Its leaders have absolutely no concern for it and see it with contempt," said senior BJP leader Arun Jaitley.

An First Information Report (FIR) was filed against Congress General Secretary Rahul Gandhi for violating the Model Code of Conduct during a road show in Kanpur earlier this week.

Union Ministers Salman Kurshid and Beni Prasad Verma had earlier been issued notice by the Election Commission over their minority quota remarks in poll-bound Uttar Pradesh. (ANI)