Sakshi Maharaj censured by Election Commission over his population remark

New Delhi: BJP MP Sakshi Maharaj, who made the controversial remark blaming  Muslims for the country’s population growth, was on Thursday censured by the Election Commission and given a warning that stern action would be taken against him if he violates the model code again.

The BJP MP’s remarks, at a ‘sant sammelan’ in Meerut last week, had come days after the Supreme Court ruled that political parties and candidates can’t seek votes in the name of religion or caste.

The EC had issued a notice to the Unnao MP on Tuesday to which he had replied.   The poll watchdog, however, said it did not find the MP’s reply satisfactory, “because in the Commission’s considered view, supported by observations of the Supreme Court, any statement to the effect of promoting enmity between different classes of society in connection with election on the grounds of religion made during electioneering or otherwise is violative of Model Code of Conduct”.

Earlier, Sakshi Maharaj had informed the Election Commission that the statement was not made in a public or an election meeting but at a saints’ conclave and hence could not be considered violative of the model code.