Lucknow: Demanding rejection of Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee's nomination papers, Congress today (Apr 17, 2004) said it would observe 'Black Day' on April 19 throughout Uttar Pradesh to protest violation of model code of conduct by Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leader Lalji Tandon who held saree distribution programme in Lucknow on Monday (Apr 12, 2004) where a stampede killed 22 women.

Processions and dharnas will be held in all districts and memorandum addressed to the President seeking his mediation to get cases registered against the guilty and nomination papers of Vajpayee rejected will be handed over to authorities, Congress' election in-charge of UP, Sanjay Singh and spokesman Akhlish Singh told reporters.

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Political Parties in India

Sanjay Singh said Vajpayee should himself opt out of the fray on moral grounds and an inquiry should be ordered to find out as to who funded the saree distribution programme on Tandon's birthday celebration in which the organisers allegedly spent about Rs 50 lakhs.

"The Prime Minister who had rushed to Lucknow to console the families of those killed in the stampede during the saree distribution programme, has remained silent over the Election Commission's indictment of his pointsman in Lucknow and this is very surprising", Akhlish Singh said.

He said Prime Minister's appeal to Ram Jethmalani to withdraw from poll fray against him comes under the purview of 123 (2) of the Peoples Representation Act of putting undue influence on opponents.

The Congress leaders said BJP should also issue a statement on EC's decision to serve a notice to the party.