EC notice to Congress' Randeep Surjewala over 'undignified, vulgar' comments against Hema Malini

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ALSO READ: Lok Sabha Elections 2024: 10 high-profile Congress turncoats in BJP and their last electoral performance The Election Commission called Randeep Surjewala's purported “lick" remark against Hema Malini "undignified, vulgar and uncivilised". The show-cause notice sought his response by April 11.

Follow Lok Sabha Polls 2024 Live Updates here The notice read, "….the comments are undignified, vulgar and uncivilized and have not only caused great insult to Smt. Hema Malini and disrespect to her position as a Member of Parliament, but also causes damage to honour and dignity of women legislators, across political formations, of women in public life and of all women in general," the letter said.

ALSO READ: Lok Sabha Elections 2024: Only 8% women candidates in phase 1, six states have no female contestant The commission demanded an action from Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge on ensuring respectful public discourse towards women by party leaders and functionaries. "While the Commission is serving due notice for show cause to Shri Surjewala, it has also taken serious note of the repeated violations being made by senior political functionaries of Indian National Congress," the Election Commission's notice read.

The Commission, therefore, “directed that the steps taken by the party to ensure strict compliance of the Commission's advisories relating to honour and dignity of women during public discourse may kindly be intimated to the Commission at the earliest, but not later than end of the day on 12th April, 2024," the notice sent to Kharge said. It “reiterated that election campaign cannot be allowed to become a platform for any kind of dishonor to women".