The Election Commission of India (ECI) has taken action against senior Congress MP Randeep Surjewala for his alleged undignified remarks against actor-turned-politician and BJP MP Hema Malini.
Surjewala has been banned from poll campaigning for the next 48 hours, starting from 6 pm today. In its notice, the poll panel strongly condemned Surjewala’s statement made during the election campaign in Haryana and reprimanded him for his misconduct.
Under Article 324 of the Constitution of India and all other powers enabling in this regard, the Commission has barred Surjewala from holding any public meetings, rallies, roadshows, or interviews, as well as making public utterances in the media, in connection with the ongoing elections for the next 48 hours.
This decision by the Election Commission marks the first instance of a politician being banned in the 2024 Lok Sabha elections. The controversy arose when the BJP shared an undated video on social media in which Surjewala was heard making objectionable remarks about Hema Malini.
Several BJP leaders, including Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Shehzad Poonawalla, criticized Surjewala, stating that women would teach him a strong lesson in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.
Surjewala was also issued a show-cause notice by the Election Commission for his alleged “undignified, uncivilized, and vulgar” remarks against Malini. However, the Congress leader refuted the allegations, claiming that the video shared by the BJP was edited and distorted.
He clarified that he never intended to insult or hurt Hema Malini. In fact, Surjewala shared another clipping from the same video in which he is heard saying that he “respects” Hema Malini because she is “married to Dharmendra Ji” and is their daughter-in-law.
“My intention was not to insult Hema Malini Ji or to hurt anybody. That’s why I clearly said we respect Hema Malini Ji. The BJP is anti-women, so it sees everything from its misogyny-tinted glasses and conveniently spreads lies,” Surjewala stated in a post on X.
The ban on Surjewala’s campaign activities has sparked a political controversy. While the BJP leaders have welcomed the Election Commission’s decision, the Congress party has criticized it as an attempt to suppress free speech.
Yogi Adityanath, the Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, accused Surjewala of disrespecting women and stated that the people, especially women, would give him a befitting reply in the Lok Sabha elections.
Shehzad Poonawalla, a political commentator, also condemned Surjewala’s remarks and called for strict action against him.
On the other hand, Congress leaders have come to Surjewala’s defense, claiming that the video was manipulated and taken out of context. They argue that the BJP is using this incident to divert attention from the real issues and problems faced by the country.
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