Patna: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has lodged a formal complaint with the Bihar Chief Electoral Officer against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, accusing him of making derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a campaign rally, ANI reported.
Speaking at a Mahagathbandhan event in Muzaffarpur on Wednesday, Gandhi said the prime minister “can do anything for votes,” adding, “If you tell Modi ji to do drama for votes, he would do. If you tell him that you would vote for him and ask him to come to the stage and dance, he would dance.”
The BJP, in its complaint to the Election Commission, described the comments as “highly derogatory, indecent and personal,” alleging they were intended to insult the dignity of the office of the prime minister. The party argued that Gandhi’s remarks amounted to personal vilification and had no relevance to public policy or governance, thereby violating the model code of conduct, ANI reported.
The model code of conduct, enforced during elections, outlines rules for political parties and candidates, including restrictions on personal attacks and guidelines for campaign conduct.
The BJP has urged the Election Commission to issue a show-cause notice to Gandhi and demand an unconditional public apology.
In response, Congress spokesperson Pawan Khera dismissed the complaint, accusing the BJP of lacking substance in its Bihar campaign. “Just imagine how issueless a party can be,” Khera told ANI. “They have no agenda, no report card, no vision for the Bihar elections, and yet they are making this an issue. A party whose prime minister uses words like ‘mujra’ has the guts to object to words like ‘dance’. What bigger joke could there be? Let them complain”
Khera was referring to a remark made by Prime Minister Modi during the 2024 Lok Sabha campaign, in which he accused the Opposition INDIA bloc of performing “mujra” to appease its vote bank.