The Indian National Congress (hereinafter 'INC'), a recognised national party, organised a public meeting at the ground adjoining to the Jama Masjid, Sector 20, Chandigarh (UT) on 15th March, 2009. This meeting was attended by Smt. Mohisina Kidwai, Incharge INC, Sh. Imran Kidwai, Chairman, Minority Cell, All India Congress Committee, INC and Sh. Pawan Kumar Bansal, Minister of State for Finance & Parliamentary Affairs in the erstwhile UPA government as well as a candidate of the INC from Chandigarh Parliamentary Constituency, alongwith other members of the INC. In this meting, Smt. Mohisina Kidwai, Sh. Imran Kidwai and Sh. Pawan Kumar Bansal, inter alia addressed the audience gathered there.
Sh. Imran Kidwai who is a senior office bearer of the Congress Party addressed the gathering present there in the presence of Smt. Kidwai and Sh. Bansal and other members of the Indian National Congress sitting on the dais. During his speech, Sh. Kidwai made a host of communal statements, appealing to the communal feelings of the gathering so as to secure the votes of the Muslim Community in favour of the INC. An extract of the transcript of some of the communal statements made by him during his speech is as follows : -
("Hamara muqabla kaun karega? Yeh Jumma-Jummas aath din ke dal hamara maqabala karenge? Aur kis cheez se muqabla karenge? Aur BJP khaas taur pe jab aati hai aur Congress ka muqabla jab BJP se kiya jaata hai to bada afsos hota hai mujhe... Aur khaas taur se hum logon ke beech mein jab aa kar ke yeh baat kahi jaati hai... Arre mujhe to bada afsos hai yaaron... ki main Mufti nahi hoon. Pawan Bhai, main Mufti nahin hoon iska mujhe bada afsos hai kyunki mufti log hamare yehan fatwa wohi de sakte hain. Aur agar main Mufti hota to sirf ek fatwa deta main. Aur fatwa yeh deta, ki Musalmaan ka BJP ke saath jaana Kufr ke barabar hai... aur main yeh saabit kar sakta hoon... Aur main yeh Saabit Kar sakta hoon is baat ko.. yeh aise hi nahi keh raha hoon main...")
The above statements were made by Sh. Kidwai during the speech in the presence of the above mentioned leaders of the Indian National Congress. These statements were neither contradicted nor condemned by any of the leaders of INC present there on the dais. They did not, in any manner, dissociate either themselves or the INC from the views expressed by Sh. Kidwai. It is, thus, that the above statements were made with the full support and acquiescence of the INC and its prominent members present there.
The above act of Sh. Kidwai for inciting communal hatred and appealing to communal feelings for the purpose of securing votes in favour of the INC, is in clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct as well as other Election Laws in force.
