Election Commission bars SP’s Azam Khan, BJP’s Maneka Gandhi from campaigning for violating model code of conduct 

Maneka Gandhi (L) and Azam Khan.

New Delhi: A few hours after the Election Commission barred the Uttar Pradesh chief minister and BJP star campaigner, Yogi Adityanath, and the Bahujan Samaj Party chief, Mayawati, from campaigning, senior Samajwadi Party leader Azam Khan and Union minister Maneka Gandhi were also barred from election campaigning, on Monday.

They have been barred for 72 hours and 48 hours respectively for making controversial comments, which the poll panel found to be against the model code of conduct. The ban will be enforced from Tuesday morning.

Addressing an election rally, on Sunday, in Rampur, Khan made derogatory remarks against the Bharatiya Janata Party candidate Jaya Prada and said, “I brought her (Jaya Prada) to Rampur. You are a witness that I did not allow anyone to touch her body. It took you 17 years to identify her real face but I got to know in 17 days that she wears khaki underwear.”

The Election Commission also found Maneka Gandhi violating the model code of conduct. Gandhi, at a public address in Sultanpur, on Friday, claimed that her victory is certain from the respective constituency “with or without” the support of the Muslims and that the community should realize it since “they will need to get their work done once BJP is in power.”

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