The BJP on Sunday claimed the Election Commission issued notice to Congress President Sonia Gandhi under its pressure and said her "merchant of death" remarks, which were "patently violative" of the model code of conduct, will be a campaign issue.
"It appears as if finally our pressure on the Election Commission, which was taking unilateral action against (Gujarat Chief Minister) Narendra Modi, has paid off," senior BJP leader Yashwant Sinha said here.
He said the Election Commission is now showing "even- handedness in issuing notices to Gandhi and Digvijay Singh because after all these are the two people, especially Gandhi, who started off" the verbal duel.
Party spokesperson Ravi Shankar Prasad welcomed the EC decision and said "we expect an objective decision would be taken at the earliest in the light of the statement by Gandhi, which we feel is patently violative of the model code of conduct".
On the Congress flip-flop on Gandhi's controversial remarks, he said while Union Minister Kapil Sibal sought to deflect her statement saying she did not refer to Modi, party spokesperson Abhishek Singhvi has owned it up and even said it was a modest comment.
"Once the statement is owned up, we would like to see the Election Commission taking appropriate decision on the matter at the earliest," he said.
{{/usCountry}}"Once the statement is owned up, we would like to see the Election Commission taking appropriate decision on the matter at the earliest," he said.
{{/usCountry}}Asked whether the BJP would raise the Congress President's remarks during campaigning, he said the "utterances of Gandhi was an issue to be discussed. It is a political issue".