The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has sought more time to reply to the notice issued by the Election Commission to Narendra Modi over his "khooni panja" remark, reports said on Saturday.
The BJP told the EC that it needs a week's time to respond since the Gujarat chief minister is busy with election campaign, according to PTI.
The poll panel had asked Modi to submit a reply by November 16.
The EC had asked BJP's prime ministerial candidate Modi on Wednesday to explain his comment terming the Congress election symbol a “khooni panja" (bloodied hand).
The EC held Modi prima facie guilty of making an unverifiable allegation against the Congress under the model code of conduct.
The code allows political parties to criticise opponents on policies, programmes and past record but not on something that cannot be substantiated.
The EC said it had obtained a CD of his speech on November 7 at Rajnandgaon in Chhattisgarh. The contents of the speech, it said, substantiated the complaint lodged by the Congress party.
The Congress on November 10 had accused Modi of violating the code by asking voters not to vote for the hand he described as “bloodied”.
{{/usCountry}}The Congress on November 10 had accused Modi of violating the code by asking voters not to vote for the hand he described as “bloodied”.
{{/usCountry}}Modi had said, "When Atal Behari Vajpayee formed Chhattisgarh, whose hands did it first go into... Do you want such a "khooni panja" (bloodied hand) again... even by mistake, don't ever let Chhattisgarh go into the hands of a "zalim panja" (cruel hands).