The Election Commission has asked Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge for a clarification on party chairperson Sonia Gandhi’s tweet referring to “sovereignty” of Karnataka in her speech at an election rally in the state on Monday. 

“The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka’s reputation, sovereignty or integrity,” read a tweet by the Congress quoting Sonia Gandhi, posted on May 6.

The election commission’s order came after BJP lodged a complaint that any remark on sovereignty for a state amounts to a suggestion of secession.

The Election Commission has, in its letter to the Congress chief, cited the BJP allegations over the tweet which include that the statement attributed to Sonia Gandhi is “violative of the mandatory oath undertaken by the political parties under section 29A (5) of the Representation of the People’s Act, 1951”.

“In view of the above, you are requested to clarify and take rectification measures in respect of the social media post which has been put up on the INC Twitter handle and attributed to Chairperson CPP,” the Election Commission stated.

The BJP had in its complaint to the election commission also stated: “Karnataka is a very important member state in the Union of India and any call to protect the sovereignty of a member State of the Union of India amounts to a call for secession and is fraught with perilous & pernicious consequences.”

Prime Minister Narendra Modi, too, hadin in his political rally accused the Congress of openly advocating to “separate” Karnataka from India. The “tukde-tukde gang” has reached the Congress’s top level, he had alleged. He had also accused the Gandhis of working against India’s interests.