EC issues notice to Karnataka Cong on 'rate card' ads against BJP, seeks 'empirical' evidence

PTI

New Delhi, May 6

The Election Commission has issued a notice to the Karnataka Congress over its “corruption rate card” advertisements published in newspapers targeting the BJP and sought “empirical” evidence to prove its allegations by Sunday evening.

The notice was issued on Saturday following a complaint lodged by the BJP.

Ahead of the May 10 assembly polls in Karnataka, the Congress released a set of posters and advertisements listing “corruption rates” in the state between 2019 and 2023 while terming the BJP government a “trouble engine”.

“It is a fair assumption that INC possesses the material/empirical/verifiable evidence based on which these specific/explicit ‘facts’ have been published, an action which can fairly be assessed to embed knowledge, motive and intent to do so by the author,” the EC notice read.

It asked the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee (KPCC) president to “convey the empirical evidence of the same, for example, the evidences for rates for kinds of appointments & transfers, kinds of jobs and kinds of commission mentioned in the advertisement given by you along with if any explanation by 19.00 hrs on 7th May 2023 and also put that in public domain.”