The Election Commission of India has censured BJP MP Dilip Ghosh and Congress leader Supriya Shrinate for their respective derogatory remarks against West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee and actor-turned-politician Kangana Ranaut.
The stern rebuke to Ghosh and Shrinate for their disparaging remarks follows their responses to notices regarding alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
The Commission in its order said the poll panel is convinced that both Ghosh and Shrinate made personal attacks, deeming them in clear violation of the provisions outlined in the MCC. They have been warned to remain careful in public utterances during the period governed by the poll code.
Read: Kangana Ranaut defends calling Urmila Matondkar 'soft porn star': She is very comfortable in that role
The MCC, a set of guidelines aimed at ensuring free and fair elections, prohibits any speech or action that may incite hatred or promote enmity between different groups, or which is derogatory to women.
The poll body will monitor their election-related communications henceforth.
{{/usCountry}}The poll body will monitor their election-related communications henceforth.
{{/usCountry}}The Election Commission has also sent warning notices to BJP national president JP Nadda and his Congress counterpart Mallikarjun Kharge so that they sensitise their functionaries during public communications and do not violate the poll code.
Read: Supriya Shrinate denied Lok Sabha ticket from Maharajganj amid backlash over remarks on Kangana Ranaut
A major controversy erupted after objectionable comments against Kangana Ranaut were posted on Shrinate's social media accounts. BJP has fielded Ranaut as its Lok Sabha candidate from Mandi constituency in Himachal Pradesh. Shrinate removed the posts from all her social media accounts, claiming that those were not posted by her but by someone else who had access to her accounts.
"As soon as I came to know, I deleted that post. Everyone who knows me, also knows very well that I can never make personal and indecent comments towards any woman. I wanted to know how this happened," she said.
Ghosh, on the other hand, was captured on video mocking Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee's family background.
He later apologised for his contentious remarks against the West Bengal Chief Minister.