Congress moves EC, demands Modi's arrest

New Delhi, May 1 (IANS) The Congress Thursday moved the EC demanding immediate arrest of BJP leader Narendra Modi, saying section 130 of the Representation of the People Act should be added to the FIR registered against him for his comments to the media after casting his vote on Wednesday.

In a letter to the Election Commission (EC), K.C. Mittal, secretary of the Congress legal and human rights department, said the poll panel had Wednesday ordered registration of FIR against Modi on a Congress complaint.

He said the party had made its own inquiries and examined footage and other records made available by the election authorities in Gujarat over Modi's comments to the mediaon Wednesday.

Modi is the prime ministerial candidate of the Bharatiya Janata Party and is contesting the Lok Sabha election from Vadodara and Varanasi constituencies.

"It is found that Narendra Modi also committed offence within the meaning of u/s 130, in addition to section 126 of the Representation of the People Act (RPA), 1951, since he was canvassing in and near a polling station which is prohibited under section 130 of the act," Mittal said.

He said section 130 of the RPA should be added to the FIR against Modi.

"He should be charged with the offence under sections 126 and 130 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and he should be arrested immediately," Mittal said.

The commission ordered registration of FIR against Modi Wednesday saying his address to the media was in the nature of political speech intended to influence the result of constituencies going to polls in Gujarat and outside the state.

The commission said Modi violated the provisions of sections 126 (1) (a) and 126 (l) (b) of RPA.