The Himachal Pradesh Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on Tuesday filed a formal complaint with the chief electoral officer against a controversial statement by chief minister Sukhvinder Singh Sukhu’s on Congress rebel Devinder Kumar Bhutto, the saffron party’s candidate for the Kutlehar assembly bypoll.
Bhutto was among the six former Congress MLAs who had voted for BJP nominee Harsh Mahajan during the Rajya Sabha polls in February. They were later disqualified by the speaker for violating the Congress whip by not voting on the budget.
In its two-page complaint, the BJP alleged that Sukhu made the remark “Bhutto ko Kootto (beat Bhutto)” while addressing a gathering in Kutlehar on April 6. The BJP labelled the remark as “highly derogatory and offensive”.
“It not only shows a complete disregard for basic human dignity but also has the potential to create an atmosphere of anarchy and unrest in the state. Moreover, the use of such language by the CM sends a wrong message to the people of Himachal Pradesh,” the complaint said.
Describing the statement as one promoting a culture of division and intolerance, the BJP stressed the importance of upholding democratic values and urged the Election Commission to take immediate and strict action against Sukhu.
{{/usCountry}}Describing the statement as one promoting a culture of division and intolerance, the BJP stressed the importance of upholding democratic values and urged the Election Commission to take immediate and strict action against Sukhu.
{{/usCountry}}The complaint urged the electoral authorities to conduct a thorough investigation into the matter and ensure that similar incidents do not recur.