Over 700 citizens are demanding an inquiry into whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national address breached the Model Code of Conduct during the election period, alleging misuse of government media for partisan purposes.
Key Points
- Over 700 citizens allege PM Modi's address violated the Model Code of Conduct.
- The complaint claims the address used government media for partisan propaganda.
- Signatories urge the Election Commission to investigate and take appropriate action.
- The letter calls for equal airtime for other parties if the address was pre-approved.
Over 700 citizens, including former civil servants, academics, activists and journalists, have written to the Election Commission alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's national address on April 18 violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for elections and sought an inquiry as well as remedial action.
In a complaint dated April 20 addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, the signatories claimed that the address, broadcast on official platforms such as Doordarshan, Sansad TV and All India Radio, amounted to "electioneering and partisan propaganda" during the MCC period.
Allegations of Undue Advantage in Elections
The MCC is currently in force in Assam, Kerala and Puducherry, where voting was held on April 9, Tamil Nadu (polling on April 23) and West Bengal (polling on April 23 and 29). Votes will be counted for all these assembly elections on May 4.
The complaint said that the use of government-funded media for such messaging gave the ruling party an "undue advantage" and undermined the level playing field essential for free and fair elections.
Call for Election Commission Action
Citing provisions of the MCC, the complainants said ministers are barred from combining official functions with electioneering and from using official machinery for partisan purposes.
The letter urged the poll panel to take cognisance of the issue, examine the content and manner of the address and initiate appropriate action. It also called for equal airtime on public broadcasters for other political parties if prior permission had been granted for the telecast.
Prominent Signatories of the Complaint
Among the signatories are former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, political economist Parakala Prabhakar, activist Yogendra Yadav, economist Jayati Ghosh, musician-author T M Krishna, former Union secretary E A S Sarma, activist Harsh Mander, journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, academic Zoya Hasan and former ambassador Madhu Bhaduri.
Others include transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj, former civil servants Ashish Joshi, Amitabha Pande, and Avay Shukla, journalists John Dayal and Vidya Subrahmaniam and CPI leader Annie Raja along with several academics, lawyers and social activists.
The signatories said the Commission should act swiftly to "uphold the sanctity of the electoral process" under its constitutional mandate.
The Model Code of Conduct violation carries no statutory punishment but is intended to ensure free and fair elections.
The Election Commission will likely review the address and seek an explanation from the Prime Minister's office before deciding on further action.
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