The BJP Friday requested the Election Commission to withdraw its FIR order against party leader Narendra Modi for violating the model code of conduct while demanding that Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi be booked for a speech in Himachal Pradesh.

 

 The Bharatiya Janata Party wrote to the poll panel after Gujarat Police registered a case against the state's chief minister for violation of the poll code.

 

 The poll panel had ordered that an FIR be filed under section 126 of the Representation of the People Act against Modi for displaying the party's symbol (lotus) after casting his vote in Vadodara, and for addressing media persons April 30.

 

 The letter, written by R. Ramakrishna, convenor of the BJP's election cell, said Modi had to take the lotus in his hand, after removing it from his lapel where he usually wears it, to cast his vote.

 

 The letter pointed out that Modi addressing the media does not fall under the category of holding a "public meeting", as defined under the Act.

 

 "Based on the above submissions, we request the commission to review and withdraw the impugned orders in reference. Pending review and possible withdrawal of the orders, the commission may kindly direct the chief secretary and director general of police of the Gujarat government to hold the earlier instructions in abeyance till further orders," the letter read.

 

 In another letter, the BJP asked the commission to register an FIR against Rahul Gandhi for allegedly saying in Solan in Himachal Pradesh Thursday that "if the BJP comes to power, peace would be a casualty… 22,000 people lost lives during the five-year NDA rule in various terrorist activities while merely 800 people had been killed in the UPA government’s five-year tenure".

 

 "This is a threat of serious dimensions made by a highly placed Congress leader, which should not be taken lightly by the EC," reads the letter.

 

 "If he (Gandhi) is not able to convince the commission about the veracity of the content of his speech, the panel may like to suitably deal with him for a serious violation of the model code of conduct which prohibits 'unverified allegations or distortions'," it demanded.