Grand Alliance fumes over BJP�s �cow� advertisement in Bihar
The BJPs latest newspaper advertisement in Bihar, featuring loaded questions to chief minister Nitish Kumar on cow slaughter, created a controversy on Wednesday with rivals accusing the party of trying to communalise the elections, reports Hindustan Times from Patna.
The ad, featuring a woman hugging a cow, asked why Kumar was silent on remarks by ally Lalu Prasad about beef-eating habits among Hindus. It said the statements insulted the cow which is worshipped by all Indians.
Stop vote bank politics and explain whether you endorse these statements, the ad said, before listing three comments made by Rashtriya Janata Dal chief Lalu Prasad and others. In each, the word beef was highlighted in red.
The advertisement comes a day ahead of last phase polling in 57 seats spread across districts in Bihar which have a concentration of minority populations.
Leaders of the anti-BJP Grand Alliance said the advertisement is in violation of the model code of conduct, which clearly prohibits the use of religion to seek votes.
We will move the Election Commission against the advertisement, Janata Dal(U) leader KC Tyagi said, adding that the poll body took a lenient stand on earlier complaints against the BJP.
Last week, the EC asked the BJP to take off two newspaper ads which alleged that the Grand Alliance was conspiring to shift some reservation benefits from backward communities to the minorities.
