Mention of IAF pilot Abhinandan by Shivraj Singh Chouhan not in line with advisory: EC official

INDORE: The Indore District Election Officer said on Thursday that a statement by senior BJP leader Shivraj Singh Chouhan where he mentioned IAF pilot Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was not in accordance with an advisory of the Election Commission (EC).
The general advisory issued by the EC on March 19 had made it clear that there should be no mention of defence forces during campaigning, said district election officer Lokesh Kumar Jatav here.
"One part of the statement (by Chouhan) was not in accordance to this advisory," he said.
He had sent his report to the Madhya Pradesh's Chief Electoral Officer, he added.
Addressing a rally for BJP candidate from Indore Shankar Lalwani on Monday, Chouhan, a former chief minister, had said, "A terrorist attack took place in Uri, which was followed by a surgical strike.
"Terrorists attacked in Pulwama, then there was an air strike (at Balakot in Pakistan) and our Abhinandan flew across the Pakistan border and shot down F-16 aircraft," he said.
"(Prime Minister Narendra) Modi said if Abhinandan received even the slightest injury, Pakistan would be wiped off the world map ... and Abhinandan returned in 72 hours," Chouhan had said.
State Congress Committee spokesperson Nilabh Shukla said he had complained against Chouhan to the EC.