EC notice to Mumbai BJP chief on communal speech

Mumbai, Oct 18 (IANS) The Election Commission on Thursday issued a show-cause notice to Mumbai chief of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party Mangal Prabhat Lodha for his alleged communal remarks during the ongoing poll campaign.Lodha had recenly at an election rally in Mumbadevi constituency, which has a sizeable Muslim population, hinted that the explosives used for blasts in the early nineties in Mumbai were "manufactured in the lanes within 5 km."He apparently referred to the Dongri and Nagpada areas, inhabited mostly by minorities, while referring to "lanes".The EC has taken cognizance of his speech and asked him to explain. According to a report, an EC team present at the meeting had recorded his speech. Mumbai goes to the polls on October 21.
--IANS abn/prs