The Election Commission on Tuesday issued a show cause notice to Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao for allegedly making derogatory remarks against the Hindu community at a rally last month.
The poll panel said it had found Rao prima facie guilty in the matter. It asked the Telangana Rashtra Samithi leader to respond by Friday evening, failing which the poll body will take a decision “without any further reference to you”.
Vishwa Hindu Parishad state chief M Rama Raju had filed a complaint against Rao on March 20, three days after Rao’s rally in Karimnagar. The complaint alleged that the chief minister had “tried to secure votes by passing derogatory remarks against Hindus”. Raju had urged the Election Commission to cancel the recognition of Rao’s party.
The Election Commission’s notice said Rao’s statement had the potential “of disturbing harmony and aggravating existing differences between social and religious communities, and appealing to communal feelings”, and it had violated the Model Code of Conduct.
The TRS chief had made the remarks at an election rally in Karimnagar, where he launched his party’s campaign ahead of the Lok Sabha elections. Telangana will vote on Thursday.
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