Election Commission probes Amit Shah's 'revenge' remark in riot-hit area

Shamli: BJP leader Amit Shah's remarks, exhorting a gathering to seek "revenge for the insult" inflicted during the riots in Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh last year, have come under the scrutiny of the Election Commission. The panel is examining tapes of Mr Shah's speech on Thursday at a rally in Shamli, one of the worst-affected in the communal riots that ripped through several areas of western UP.

Over 60 people were killed and nearly 40,000 were displaced in the clashes between Jats and Muslims in September last.

"The elections in Uttar Pradesh, especially in western Uttar Pradesh, is an election for honour, for seeking revenge for the insult, and for teaching a lesson to those who committed injustice," Mr Shah had told a gathering of Jats. Interestingly, the 50-year-old was flanked by BJP legislator Suresh Rana, who is one of those accused of inciting the communal tension.

The Congress, which has been accused by the BJP of "blatant communalism" and "polarizing" voters after it received the controversial backing of a top Muslim religious leader on Friday, promptly hit back. (After controversial Sonia meeting, Congress scores Shahi Imam's support)

"The language used by Amit Shah in a communally-sensitive area like Muzaffarnagar to incite people, can't they see communalism in it," said Congress leader Satyavrat Chaturvedi.

The BJP defended Mr Shah, saying that his remarks had, in fact, captured the "mood of the nation".

"Congress has been playing the communalism card... His (Shah's) statement should be seen as one to take revenge with Congress for the fraud it has committed with the nation all these years," party chief Rajnath Singh said.

Mr Shah, a close aide of BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, faces charges of murder in connection with a fake encounter case while he was a minister in Gujarat. But his proven talent in winning elections saw the BJP entrusting him with handling the campaign in Uttar Pradesh, from where Mr Modi will fight his first parliamentary election.