New Delhi, 22 May

The Election Commission on Wednesday asked the BJP and the Congress to desist from campaigning along caste, community, language, and religious lines, asserting that India’ socio-cultural milieu cannot be made a casualty to elections.

Nearly a month after it issued notice to BJP President JP Nadda on opposition charge that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a divisive speech in Rajasthan's Banswara, the poll watchdog rejected his defence and asked him and his party's star campaigners to desist from campaigning on religious and communal lines.

It also asked the BJP to stop campaign speeches that may divide society.

Along with Nadda, the EC had issued a similar notice to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge asking him to respond to the complaints filed by the BJP against him and the main opposition party's senior leader Rahul Gandhi regarding their remarks.

The EC also rejected his defence and asked the Congress not to politicise defence forces and make potentially divisive statements regarding socio-economic composition of the armed forces.

It also asked the Congress to ensure that its star campaigners and candidates do not make statements which give false impression that the Constitution may be abolished or sold.

The EC asked the presidents of the two national parties to issue formal notes to their star campaigners to correct their discourse, exercise care and maintain decorum.