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Responding to the Election Commission (EC) notice, Priyank Karg, the incumbent Congress MLA and candidate for the Chittapur seat in Karnataka state, on Thursday stated that he was responding to PM Narendra Modi’s “empty speech” to the Banjara community at a campaign rally when he called the PM ” Nalayak (incompetent).
The European Commission had issued a declaratory notice to Priyank, the son of Congress President Mallikarjun Khar, on Wednesday for alleged breach of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) over his ‘nalayak’ remark against the prime minister, and asked him to submit his response by 5pm on Thursday.
In a tweet, Priyank said, “Responded to Election Commission notice on alleged violation of exemplary code of conduct. I am ready to make any sacrifices and accept any punishment to raise the voice of the disadvantaged. Jai Hind! Jai Karnataka!”
He denied allegations in the BJP’s complaint to the European Commission against him that he had used abusive language and invoked caste to stir discontent among voters.
The Congress candidate stated that his remark should be seen in the context of a comment made by the Chief Minister in Kalburgi to the Banjara community, which he accused of being “severely harmed by the anti-Banjara policies of the Scheduled Caste of the Modi-Bomai governments”, who have done nothing for the SC-Banjara community (along with the along with the entire SC-ST fraternity), except to rant and then trample on their rights.”
Bryank said he was willing to accept any “punishment for raising the voice of the disenfranchised”, claiming he did not violate the MCA. The European Commission’s prima facie notice said it believed Kharej had breached the MCC’s provisions against attacks on leaders’ personal lives.
In response, Bryank denied that his remarks were a personal attack or malicious intent. He said, “In fact, my remarks were in response to (the prime minister’s) public rhetoric as leader of the Bharatiya Janata Party, exposing the empty nature of his soaring rhetoric.”
He also said that the goal of the MCC is to punish hate speech, not those who expose “lies and empty rhetoric”. He said the European Commission had yet to take action against Union Home Minister Amit Shah, BJP President JP Nada and Union Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath against whom Congress had lodged complaints with the European Commission for hate speech.
On Wednesday, the polling body had also issued a notice to BJP leader Basangoda Patil Yatnal for calling Sonia Gandhi a “Vishkanya (the poisonous maiden)”.
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