New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) has directed the Uttar Pradesh chief electoral officer to file a case under the Indian Penal Code and the Representation of the People Act against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Varun Gandhi in connection with his allegedly inflammatory speeches.

It ordered issue of notice to the BJP and Gandhi for alleged violation of model code of conduct. Gandhi came under attack from within the party and its allies for his remarks with communal overtones even as he claimed that the videotape containing his speech had been tampered with.

At a recent election meeting in Pilibhit from where he is being fielded, he had said, “this is not a ‘Hand’ (Congress symbol), it is the power of the ‘Lotus’ (BJP symbol). It will cut the head of... Jai Shri Ram.”

‘CPM may join non-Cong, non-BJP govt at Centre’

Kolkata: More than a decade after he was denied India’s prime ministership by his party, veteran Marxist leader Jyoti Basu on Tuesday said the Communist Party of India (Marxist), or CPM, may join the federal government if a non-Congress, non-Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) coalition manages to come to power after the polls.

“The Third Front is the only alternative. If it forms a government at the Centre, we may perhaps join this time. Last time we could not, but this time we may perhaps,” Basu said.

In 1996, when Left parties took the initiative in forming the United Front government, the CPM had asked Basu not to take up the top post.

The former West Bengal chief minister had later termed the development as a “historic blunder”. CPM general secretary Prakash Karat had earlier told ‘Mint’ in an interview his party would not be a part of a government in which it is not strong enough to make policy changes.

— Liz Mathew

*********