- The Congress party called on the ECI to take immediate action against PM Narendra Modi and several BJP leaders for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the provisions of the Act, ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections.
- According to the complaint, PM Narendra Modi, in a video message uploaded during the ‘silence period’, appealed to the voters of Karnataka on behalf of the BJP.
- “The ECI must take immediate note of this and initiate appropriate proceedings against Shri Narendra Modi, other leaders, and the BJP party,” the letter read.
- If convicted under the Act, these leaders will stand disqualified from their respective membership in the Parliament as well as the legislative assembly,” it added.
- Congress leader questioned whether the laws apply to the prime minister and whether the poll panel has the capacity and willingness to enforce its mandates or if it will remain a helpless bystander.
The Congress party called on the Election Commission of India (ECI) to take immediate action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and several leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for scandalously violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the provisions of the Representation of People Act, 1951 ahead of the Karnataka Assembly elections. In the complaint letter, Congress MP Randeep Singh Surjewala pointed to the video message posted from Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Twitter handle and live interviews of other BJP leaders aired on a TV news channel appealed to the voters of Karnataka on behalf of the BJP, after the ‘silence period’.
“The Election Commission of India must take immediate note of this and initiate appropriate proceedings against Shri Narendra Modi, Shri Amit Shah, Shri JP Nadda, Shri Yogi Adityanath, and the BJP party,” the letter read.
“It may be mentioned that if convicted under Section 126 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, these leaders will stand disqualified from their respective membership in the Parliament as well as the legislative assembly,” it added.
Making a strong pitch for the return of the BJP government in Karnataka a day before the Assembly polls, Prime Minister Narendra Modi said that the affection he has received in the state over the last few days has been unparalleled, and it has strengthened the resolve to make it number one across all sectors. The dream of every citizen of Karnataka is my dream. Your resolve is my resolve. When we come together and set our minds to a goal, no force in the world can stop us,” he said in a video message.
Sharing the complaint letter on social media, Randeep Singh Surjewala, in a strongly worded statement, said the poll body faces a “litmus test” over PM Modi’s alleged disregard for electoral laws and code of conduct. He emphasized that if the prime minister can flout electoral laws with impunity and openly attempt to influence voters during the prohibited “silence period,” it is imperative for the ECI to fulfill its constitutional duty under Article 324 of the Constitution of India.
Surjewala further questioned whether the laws apply to the prime minister and whether the poll panel has the capacity and willingness to enforce its mandates or if it will remain a helpless bystander. He stressed that the ECI’s response to these violations would serve as a litmus test for the institution, determining whether it acts decisively or is remembered for its inaction and the dilution of its authority.
Karnataka will go to the polls on May 10 and the counting of votes will take place on May 13.
(With Inputs from agencies)
