In a strongly worded reply to the Election Commission of India regarding a newspaper advertisement issued by it on the Batla House encounter, the BJP has defended the advertisement and challenged the Election Commission to maintain a ‘neutral view’.

“The Election Commission should remain politically detached and should not curtail the freedom of speech during election. Let the voter decide whether our stand on the issue is right or wrong. The Election Commission should not decide this,” BJP leader Arun Jaitley said, challenging the Election Commission to ban the advertisement.

The BJP advertisement raises the issue of terrorism using the Batla House encounter as an example. It also discussed the fact that Jamia Millia Islamia decided to defend two students, who were members of the Indian Mujahideen. “The Model Code of Conduct talks only about avoidance of mutual hatred and causing of tension between castes and communities, religious or linguistic. We have not violated any of this,” the reply filed by R Ramakrishna, the BJP’s convenor of the election cell, stated.

Attacking the Commission, the reply stated: “The Congress wants the Election Commission to take an ideological position on whether the BJP ideology on these issues is more acceptable or the Congress’ view more acceptable. The Election Commission does not have a political ideology. The Commission, consequently, should decline the Congress’ invitation to measure political ideology and determine who is more politically correct.”

On the issue of Jamia Millia Islamia establishing a special fund for legal aid for the two alleged terrorists, the BJP said, “It cannot be denied that Jamia is a central university and is funded primarily by the tax payer.”

Jamia Vice-Chancellor Mushirul Hasan had earlier also filed a complaint against the advertisement with the Commission.

BJP sources have indicated that in the coming days, the issue of Batla House is going to be at the centre stage of the campaign.