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The Election Commission on Monday granted Congress Vice-President Rahul Gandhi three more days to respond to its show cause notice for his alleged remarks that if the Bharatiya Janata Party comes to power, 22,000 people will be killed in violence.
The Commission had asked Rahul to respond to the notice by the morning. But on his request, the Commission extended the deadline till the morning of May 15, sources in EC said.
According to the notice issued on May 9, addressing an election rally in Solan, Himachal Pradesh on May 1, Rahul had reportedly said: "People from Japan ask me... they say we are scared over one issue. We will help you, we will prepare roads. But we are scared whether there will be peace... they say whether people of India will fight with each other or not?
"This fear is there in our lives as well. If there is BJP, there will be violence. If there is BJP, 22,000 people will die, because they spread anger...this question was never raised before."
The BJP had moved the EC against Gandhi for his remarks.
The EC had reminded Gandhi of the provision in the Model Code which states that no party or candidate would indulge in any activity, which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred.
The show cause notice also referred to the provision which refrains parties and candidates making distorted or unverified allegations and limit their criticism to policies and programmes of rival parties.