The Election Commission (EC) has issued a show-cause notice to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma in response to his recent ‘Akbar’ remark made during the Chhattisgarh poll campaign. Sarma directed these comments at Chhattisgarh’s sole Muslim minister, Mohammad Akbar, during the assembly election campaign last week. The Assam CM has been granted until 5 pm on October 30 to respond to the notice.
In his speech delivered in Kawardha, Chhattisgarh, on October 18, Sarma made a controversial remark about Akbar, suggesting that “the sacred land of Mata Kaushalya would be tainted if Akbar is not removed.” Mata Kaushalya, revered as Lord Ram’s mother, is traditionally believed to hail from the region now part of modern-day Chhattisgarh. Sarma’s statement in Kawardha included the assertion that “When one Akbar arrives in a particular location, he brings along a hundred Akbars. Therefore, it’s crucial to remove him swiftly, or else the sanctity of Mata Kaushalya’s land will be compromised.”
In issuing the notice to Sarma, the EC cited a provision in the election code that forbids any party or candidate from engaging in activities that could exacerbate existing divisions, foster mutual animosity, or incite tension among various castes, communities, religious groups, or linguistic groups.
The elections for the 90-member Chhattisgarh assembly are slated to be conducted in two phases, with voting scheduled for November 7 and November 17.
