The Election Commission on Friday said that Bharatiya Janata Party’s National General Secretary Kailash Vijayvargiya violated the Model Code of Conduct ahead of the Madhya Pradesh bye-polls. The poll panel had pulled up Vijayvargiya for referring to Congress leaders Digvijaya Singh and Kamal Nath as “chunnu munnu” at an election rally on October 14 in Indore.

In a notice to Vijayvargiya, the poll panel also advised the senior BJP leaders not to utter such words when making speeches during campaigns.

The commission said it had issued a notice to Vijayvargiya in connection with the matter on Monday. The BJP leader had replied on the next day, saying that the remarks were a complete misunderstanding. “The complaint is an election driven narrative of the Congress to change the course of the election,” Vijayvargiya alleged in his reply.

He further said that abiding by the poll panel’s directions and the Model Code of Conduct was paramount for him and BJP workers. “On a close perusal of the entire speech and the alleged objectionable words, suffice it as duo of the leaders of the Congress party cannot be construed as criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of the party, as defined in the Para 1(2) of the Model Code of Conduct,” the BJP leader said.

The order said the commission has carefully considered the matter “and is of considered view that Kailash Vijayvargiya has violated Para (2) of Part I of the General Conduct Model Code of Conduct for the Guidance of Political Parties and Candidates”.

Bye-polls to 28 Madhya Pradesh Assembly seats will be held on November 3. The campaigning is underway.