New Delhi, Apr 22 (IANS): The Election Commission on Monday barred Punjab Minister and Congress leader Navjot Singh Sidhu from campaigning for three days after it found him guilty of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) with his allegedly communal remarks.

It said he would be barred from holding any public meeting, procession, rally, road show, interviews or make any public utterances in media in connection with the ongoing elections for 72 hours starting 10 am on Tuesday.

The poll panel had on Saturday issued a notice to the cricketer-turned-politician for violating MCC during an election rally in Bihar's Katihar where he urged Muslims to not split their votes.

The Commission said it amounted to making use of religion while appealing voters to support Congress candidate from Katihar, Tariq Anwar.

In the notice, the EC had said that the Chief Electoral Officer of Bihar had forwarded it a video clip showing Sidhu asking voters from the "minority community" to prevent any split of their votes.

He also asked them to do mass voting for the Congress so as to throw Prime Minister Narendra Modi out of power.