The Election Commission (EC) on Monday issued a notice to Maharashtra Navnirman Sena (MNS) chief Raj Thackeray, accusing him of making speeches that might aggravate differences or create mutual hatred between different communities.
The EC asked Thackeray to respond by Wednesday. Maharashtra will go to polls on the same day.
The poll panel said it had received reports from the District Election Officer of Mumbai that the MNS chief had made speeches that violated not only Sub-Paras 1 and 4 of Para 1 of the Model Code of Conduct, which had been in place in the poll-bound state, but had also committed an electoral offence defined under Section 125 of Representation of People’s Act, 1951.
“From the day you give this state in my hands, employment in any industry created in Maharashtra will be given only to Marathi boys and girls. No employment will be given to people from other states,” Thackeray had reportedly said at a rally in Ghatkopar on October 5.
“Boards of ‘No entry’ will be put up on the borders. Slums spring up, but the Marathi people do not get affordable homes they deserve,” he had purportedly said at another rally in Kalna on October 7.
The EC said Section 125 of the RP Act, 1951, defines promoting enmity between different classes of citizens of India on the grounds of religions, race, caste, community or language in connection with elections as an electoral offence.