UP polls: EC notice to BJP candidate over inflammatory remark

The Election Commission on Sunday issued a notice to a BJP candidate in Uttar Pradesh for allegedly making an inflammatory statement, and said he prima facie violated the model code and the electoral law.

The poll watchdog gave Mayankeshwar Sharan Singh, the BJP candidate from the Tiloi assembly constituency in Amethi, 24 hours to respond.

According to the transcript of a purported video clip made part of the notice, Singh broadly said in Hindi that ''...if you have to live in India, (you will have) to chant 'Radhey-Radhey', else like all those who went to Pakistan during Partition, you can go too...you are not needed here.'' The video is being circulated on social media, the EC said.

The commission noted that an FIR was lodged against Singh on February 18 under relevant sections of the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act.

''Take notice that in the event of no response from your side within the stipulated time, it will be presumed that you have nothing to say in the matter and the Election Commission will take appropriate action or decision in the matter without making any further reference to you,'' the poll panel asserted.