Election Commission asks Congress chief to clarify Sonia’s ‘sovereignty’ remark

New Delhi: The Election Commission has asked Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge to clarify a tweet on his predecessor Sonia Gandhi's "sovereignty" remark in Karnataka following BJP complaints that it amounts to a suggestion of secession.

"The Congress will not allow anyone to pose a threat to Karnataka's reputation, sovereignty or integrity," read a tweet by the Congress quoting Sonia Gandhi, posted on May 6.

The tweet triggered a sharp attack from the BJP and Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who in his final rally before the May 10 Karnataka elections, accused the Congress of openly advocating to "separate" Karnataka from India.

The "tukde-tukde gang" had reached the Congress's top level, he had alleged, accusing the Gandhis of "working against India's interests". The BJP filed a complaint with the Election Commission, demanding action against Congress and Gandhi. Earlier, the BJP intensified its attack on the Congress over its use of the term "sovereignty" for Karnataka as it moved the Election Commission seeking action against Sonia Gandhi. to whom the opposition party had attributed the remark, and her party's derecognition.