The Election Commission of India (ECI) ruled on Friday that there was no violation of its advisories or the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in two more speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and two of BJP president Amit Shah.
Five speeches of the Prime Minister have so far got the ECI’s clearance. In at least two cases, one Election Commissioner gave a dissenting opinion.
In the latest complaint, Congress leader Randeep Singh Surjewala alleged violation of the Commission’s advisories and the MCC in Mr. Modi’s speech at Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh on April 25. He had also complained about an interview the Prime Minister gave to Aaj Tak news channel on April 26.
According to the ECI, the issue was examined in detail in accordance with the extant advisories and MCC provisions. The complete transcript of the speech was scrutinised, following which the Commission concluded that no violation was made out. Mr. Modi had raised the issue of Pulwama terror attack and the subsequent killing of 42 terrorists in his speeches.
Another of the Prime Minister’s speech at Maharashtra’s Nanded on April 6, criticising Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s decision to also contest from Wayanad in Kerala, was reported to the ECI. A detailed report of the Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra, was sought and examined.
Amit Shah’s comments
Mr. Surjewala had also complained about Mr. Shah’s speeches at Nagpur on April 9 and at Krishnanagar in West Bengal on April 22. In both cases, after going through the reports and the transcripts, the Commission ruled that there was no violation. In Krishnanagar, Mr. Shah had allegedly made the “Modi’s Vayu Sena” remark while referring to the air strike on Balakot in Pakistan. The Commission has earlier cautioned Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi for their “Modi ji ki sena” comment.
Published - May 03, 2019 10:44 pm IST
