Chief Electoral Officer gets Gujarat BJP president Jitu Vaghani's comment probed

Taking suo motu cognizance of media reports related to state BJP president Jitu Vaghani allegedly abusing the Congress party, the state's Chief Electoral Officer on Tuesday directed the Surat district collector to conduct an inquiry.

"We have taken note of media reports about the comments made by a political leader in Surat, and have sought a report from the collector," CEO S Murali Krishna said, without naming Vaghani. The BJP leader stirred controversy on Monday by using abusive words to target the Congress, asking voters to identify those trying to disturb peace in the state.

During a poll campaign meet in Surat, Vaghani accused Congress of trying to create chaos as it had no chance of winning. "I am telling the Congress, you cannot win in Surat and in the state," he said.

"But you want to create chaos and an atmosphere of fear. One such incident has occurred but if a second incident takes place, we can throw you out of Surat," he added, while using the abusive word.

Vaghani did not divulge the exact incident he was referring to, but claimed on Tuesday that he had used the abusive words for Congress leaders like Mohammad Surti, a former minister in the Congress government who was convicted in the 1993 Surat bomb blast case.

Speaking to reporters in Valsad, Vaghani said, "I had said it earlier too. In which government Mohammad Surti was a minister? Was he a patriot? But, the Congress always indulges in appeasement of minorities."