EC lets off LoP of MP assembly with a light rap over 'Pakistan' remark

The Election Commission has let off the leader of the opposition in the Madhya Pradesh assembly Gopal Bhargava for his remarks that while the BJP candidate for the Jhabua bypoll represents India, the Congress candidate represents Pakistan. In a letter to Bhargava on October 14, a senior BJP leader of the state, the Commission advised him to be "more careful" in his remarks made in public while campaigning for the bypoll.

The poll panel said such statements have an effect on aggravating differences between the supporters of the contesting candidate when they are described as representatives of India and Pakistan. On September 30, Bhargava had asked the electorate in Jhabua to vote for

BJP candidate Bhanu Bhuria as he "represents India" and said his rival Congress nominee Kantilal Bhuria "represents Pakistan". A Congress representative had moved the Commission with a complaint against Bhargava.

The by-election was necessitated after BJP's G S Damor had resigned as the Jhabua MLA after winning the Lok Sabha election from the Ratlam-Jhabua seat earlier this year.