'Be careful': EC advises Rahul Gandhi on remarks against PM

New Delhi, March 6: The Election Commission of India on Wednesday advised Congress MP Rahul Gandhi on Wednesday to be careful and cautious while making remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The advisory came after considering some of the Congress leader's remarks against PM Modi, and the poll panel also considered an order of the Delhi High Court and Rahul Gandhi's reply.

The Election Commission said that the advisory comes after considering all facts in the matter related to the remarks against the Prime Minister.

The Delhi High Court, on December 21, said that Rahul Gandhi's speech on November 22 against PM Modi was "not in good taste", and had directed the Election Commission to decide the matter within 8 weeks.

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls, the Election Commission, had last week, put star campaigners and candidates on notice in case of violations that followed the previously-known methodologies during elections to avoid the model code of conduct (MCC).

Taking note of the various trends and cases of plummeting levels of political campaign discourse in recently held elections, it asked all political parties to maintain decorum.

It held that no appeal shall be made on the basis of caste or communal feelings of the electors, and activity, "which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes/communities/religious/linguistic groups".

"The political parties and leaders shall not make false statements, utterances without factual basis aimed at misleading the voters. Criticism of other parties or their workers on the basis of unverified allegations or on distortions shall be avoided," it said.

The poll body also advised parties and leaders to refrain from making "low-level personal attacks to insult the rivals".