Did Modi violate poll code? EC to examine complaint

Election Commission will investigate a complaint that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation potentially violated the Model Code of Conduct during ongoing elections.

EC to examine complaint against PM's address

IMAGE: Kindly note that this image has been posted for representational purposes only. Photograph: / Rediff.com

Key Points

The Election Commission is set to examine a complaint alleging Prime Minister Modi's address violated the Model Code of Conduct.
Left parties have formally complained to the Election Commission, citing a violation of election guidelines.
The complaint centres on the alleged misuse of public broadcaster Doordarshan for political messaging.
Prime Minister Modi criticised the Congress party for defeating the women's reservation bill during his address.
The Model Code of Conduct remains in effect until May 4, the day votes are counted.

Election Commission sources on Tuesday said the opposition's complaint that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation was violative of the poll code 'would be examined' by it.

Left parties wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar, alleging that Prime Minister Modi's address to the nation on Saturday violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for elections and sought action against him.

While polling has taken place in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, voting will he held in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal on April 23. The last phase of polling in West Bengal will be on April 29.

Election Commission's Response to the Complaint

The sources said the complaint against the prime minister "would be examined" by the Model Code of Conduct division of EC.

The poll code came into force on March 15 with the announcement of the poll schedule and will remain in place till May 4, the day votes will be counted for the five assemblies.

Allegations of Misuse of Public Broadcaster

CPI(M) General Secretary MA Baby and CPI Rajya Sabha MP P Sandosh Kumar wrote separately to the poll panel chief, alleging misuse of the public broadcaster to influence public opinion in states where polling is scheduled in coming days.

Separately, nearly 700 activists and private citizens have approached the poll authority on the alleged violation.

Baby, in his letter to the poll panel chief, called it a "serious violation" of the MCC by the prime minister, arising from the "misuse" of the public broadcaster, Doordarshan, to deliver a political speech.

He said this constitutes a "flagrant breach" of the MCC provision laid down in Section 4 under the heading "Party in Power".

"Usage of a public broadcaster as a platform for political messaging during an election by the incumbent prime minister creates an uneven playing field and undermines the principle of free and fair elections, which is the cornerstone of our parliamentary democratic framework," he said.

Prime Minister's Address and Criticism

In his address on Saturday, the prime minister lashed out at the Congress and its allies for defeating the amendment bill on women's reservation in legislatures, saying they committed the "sin of foeticide" and will face severe punishment from the women.

Modi apologised to the women and said the government may have lost the vote in the Lok Sabha, but it will never give up its efforts to empower women.

The address was delivered a day after the Lower House of Parliament rejected a Constitution Amendment Bill to increase the number of Lok Sabha and assembly seats and implement 33 per cent reservation for women in legislatures under the Nari Shakti Vandhan Adhiniyam.

The Model Code of Conduct is a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India to regulate the conduct of political parties and candidates during elections. These guidelines aim to ensure free and fair elections by preventing misuse of power and resources by the ruling party. The EC's decision on this complaint could set a precedent for future election-related speeches.