When asked about ‘vote jihad’, he said, “The ECI is carefully analysing its implications across legal, linguistic and social domains before taking further action. We should be very cautious with terms like ‘vote jihad’ because they have serious repercussions.” “This is a new phrase requiring thorough study. There are legal, linguistic, social and religious aspects to consider. ECI officials, including the Chief Electoral Officer and I, are analysing this and we will take an appropriate decision once all these aspects are reviewed comprehensively,” he said.When asked if such controversial phrases affected the election discourse, Kulkarni cautioned against drawing hasty conclusions.”It’s a long-term process. Words and their references need to be defined and analysed thoroughly. There is no airtight legal framework for new terminology, so we must handle such matters carefully, keeping in mind their consequences,” he said.
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