‘Sovereignty of Karnataka’: After BJP seeks action against Cong, Sonia, EC asks Cong to clarify, ‘rectify’

The BJP memorandum to the EC was based on a tweet by the Congress, where it said that in her speech at Hubballi on May 6, Sonia had said that “the Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka’s reputation, sovereignty and integrity”.

A transcript of her full speech indicates Sonia did not use the word “sovereignty”. Following the BJP’s memo to the EC, the Congress accused the party of “fakery and falsehood”, and of denigrating the state’s “swabhimaan (self-respect)”.

In the letter to Kharge, the EC quoted the BJP’s complaint saying Sonia’s speech was in violation of the oath taken by political parties when they get registered under the Representation of the People Act, 1951. Section 29A (5) of the Act states that a party shall “bear true faith and allegiance to the Constitution of India… to the principles of socialism, secularism and democracy, and would uphold the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India”.

The EC asked Kharge “to clarify and take rectification measures in respect of the social media post” put up by the Congress and attributed to Sonia.

An EC official said the letter was just that, a letter, and “not a notice”, and did not mention a timeframe for a clarification from the Congress.

Campaigning for the May 10 Assembly elections in Karnataka ended Monday.

Earlier in the day, Union Environment Minister Bhupender Yadav, who led the BJP delegation to the EC, said the use of the word “sovereignty” was deliberate and it was the “agenda of the tukde tukde gang”.

“The Congress is using words against the unity and integrity of India that should not have been used. The Election Commission heard our issues with seriousness,” Yadav said.

The BJP memo, signed by Yadav, Union minister Jitendra Singh, and BJP leaders Tarun Chugh, Anil Baluni and Om Pathak, said it was unfortunate that the Congress was doing all it could to “show India in a poor light”.

“To suggest secession, even remotely, to the people of Karnataka, who were at the forefront of India’s Independence movement and who have post-Independence led in the fields of art, culture, education, industry and trade, amounts to insulting and humiliating the people of Karnataka,” it said.

Union minister and convenor of the BJP Election Management Committee Shobha Karandlaje called Sonia’s statements “shocking and unacceptable”.

The BJP memorandum to the EC came a day after Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched an attack on the Gandhi family at a rally in Nanjangud, Mysuru, over the alleged “sovereignty” remarks, saying the “Shahi Parivar” of the Congress wanted Karnataka to secede from India. “I never thought that the tukde-tukde gang disease would reach such heights,” he said.

Reacting to the BJP allegations, Congress general secretary in-charge of Karnataka Randeep Surjewala said Modi should answer on corruption charges against his party’s government and that “excuses” cannot be the refuge of the BJP.

“The desperation of PM Modi and the BJP is glaring as they seek to clutch at straws for want of a narrative in Karnataka. We reject the fakery and falsehood being perpetuated by the PM as he refuses to answer a single question on why the BJP is denigrating the ‘swabhimaan’ of Karnataka,” Surjewala said, as per a PTI report.

He asked the PM to answer why the BJP-Shiv Sena government of Maharashtra has “extended its schemes to 865 villages in Karnataka”. “Is this not a naked breach of federalism? Why are Kannadiga youths not being permitted to take the CRPF exam in Kannada by the Modi government? Why was the tableau of Narayan Guru not permitted by the Modi government in the Republic Day parade?” Surjewala said.

In its memo to the EC, the BJP attached the screenshot of the Congress tweet on Sonia speech, and alleged: “The Congress believes that Karnataka is separate from India… This is a shocking statement leading to igniting divisive sentiments and to create disharmony in society.”

The Congress tweet on Sonia’s speech had said: “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’.”

In her speech at Hubballi on May 6, Sonia said: “The BJP government’s loot, lies, arrogance and hatred have created such an environment that, without getting rid of it, neither Karnataka nor the nation can develop.”

In what appeared to be a reference to BJP president J P Nadda’s statement that the people of Karnataka should vote for the BJP to ensure “Modi’s blessings”, Sonia added: “They say that if they don’t win, then Karnataka will not get Modiji’s blessings. They say that if the BJP loses, there will be riots here… I would like to tell them on behalf of you, ‘Don’t think of the people of Karnataka as powerless and weak’. People of Karnataka are not dependent on anyone’s blessings, but on their hard work and resolve. People of Karnataka are not cowards or greedy… People of Karnataka will tell you on May 10 what they are made of.”

Speaking to the media, Bhupender Yadav said that the Congress had not given any evidence to the EC yet over the allegations made in its advertisements, including a “corruption chart” with a list of rates for various tasks under the BJP government. The EC had issued a notice to the Karnataka Congress to submit evidence for the claims.

The Congress has sought action by the EC too against BJP leaders, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP president J P Nadda and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, over statements made during the campaign.

As of Monday, the EC was yet to announce any action in the Congress’s complaints against the prominent BJP leaders.

But the EC Monday issued a notice to Karnataka BJP president Nalin Kumar Kateel for the party’s advertisements alleging corruption by the Congress. The EC asked for evidence regarding the allegations by 8 pm Tuesday.