New Delhi, Oct 26 (PTI) With the Election Commission issuing a show-cause notice to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for his remarks targeting Chhattisgarh minister Mohammad Akbar, the Congress on Thursday said he is a "serial offender" and hoped the poll watchdog will take this case to its "logical conclusion".

The commission asked Sarma to respond to the notice by 5 pm on October 30.

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In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Yesterday, the Congress party brought to the attention of the Election Commission of India serious electoral malpractices by senior leaders of the party in power. The ECI has observed prima facie the violation of the Model Code of Conduct by the Assam CM for his obnoxious hate speech on 18th of October in Chhattisgarh."

Sarma made the remarks targeting Akbar during the assembly poll campaign on October 18 in Kawardha in Chhattisgarh.

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"He (Sarma) is actually a serial offender. We hope that the ECI will follow through and take this case to its logical conclusion," Ramesh said.

Politicians, especially those holding Constitutional positions, cannot and should not be allowed to get away with such blatant violations of the Model Code of Conduct, the Congress general secretary said.

"It is the only way to stop the poisoning of our public discourse and protect the sanctity of our elections and democracy itself," Ramesh said.

In a speech in Kawardha in Chhattisgarh on October 18, Sarma had taken a controversial dig at Akbar saying that "the land of Mata Kaushalya will get defiled if Akbar isn't sent off."

"If one Akbar comes to some place, he calls 100 Akbars. So, send him off as soon as possible, otherwise the land of Mata Kaushalya will get defiled," he had said.

Mata Kaushalya, the mother of Lord Ram, is believed to hail from what is modern day Chhattisgarh.

The Congress on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against Sarma for his remarks against Akbar, the party's candidate from Kawardha.

The party had alleged that Sarma's remarks showed a clear-cut intention to incite sections of society against one another.

While issuing the notice to Sarma, the Election Commission reminded him of a provision in the poll code which states that "no party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic."

Elections to the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly will be held in two phases - on November 7 and 17.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)