Lok Sabha 2014: BJP MLA Hira Lal targets Sonia and Rahul Gandhi; threatens to 'strip and send them back to Italy'

With election campaign touching a feverish pitch, leaders leave no stone unturned to lure voters even if it means washing dirty linen in public to put opponents in dock.

Following suit, Hira Lal, a BJP MLA from Niwai (SC) seat from Rajasthan, targets Congress president Sonia Gandhi and her son Rahul Gandhi.  

While addressing a workers meeting in Tonk-Sawaimadhopor  parliamentary constituency, he allegedly threatened to send Sonia and Rahul back to Italy without clothes if his party came to power at the Centre.  

The BJP has distanced itself from such remarks. Party spokesman Syed Shahnawaz Hussain said the party doesn’t approve such remarks, but didn’t specify, if they will take any action against their party MLA. “I have not seen reports or this speech. But I tell you, we don’t approve such language,” he said.

Earlier it was Congress' Imran Masood who allegedly threatened to cut BJP prime ministerial nominee Narendra Modi to pieces, followed by BJP Delhi strongman describing Muslim locality of Jamia Nagar and Batla House, “den of terrorists”.  In Jammu and Kashmir, a video gone viral on social media, shows the ruling National Conference Minister Sakina Itto forcing an old man to take oath on Holy Quran and swear by the name of Prophet to vote for her party.  

Election Commission sources here say, they have received complaints and the latest one from Rajasthan Congress unit against Hira Lal alognwith a video clip. “We are seized of all these matters and will take action in a few days after ascertaining facts,” a senior Eleciton Commission official told dna.

Congress leader Shakilur Rehman said, women are traditionally accorded respect in India and a senior BJP MLA has violated the Model Code of Conduct by making such abusive remarks.

Heera Lal, a Dalit won from Niwai (sc) constituency trouncing rival Prashant of Congress last assembly elections. He was campaigning in Tonk-Sawai Madhopur, from where Congress has fielded crickter turned politician Muhammad Azharudin.

Meanwhile, the  Congress on Sunday wrote to the Election Commission demanding a public apology from the BJP for criticising it and its Saharanpur nominee Imran Masood, saying the controversial speech was made last September when he was a Samajwadi Party member. It said the Bharatiya Janata Party complaint regarding Masood "has been deliberately made to hit and malign Congress Party and its candidate(s), which has also been given wide publicity in the media".

Masood was arrested on early Saturday for his hate speech against BJP's prime ministerial candidate Modi. Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi Saturday had during an election rally in Saharanpur condemned the language used by Masood, saying it does not reflect the Congress's thinking