No poll code violation in ‘majority is minority’ speech: EC clean chit to PM Modi

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NEW DELHI: The Election Commission (EC) on Tuesday gave PM Modi a clean chit in connection with allegations of violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) saying it has found no poll code violation in his speech at Wardha in Maharashtra.

The EC on Friday received a complaint from Congress about PM Modi’s speech on April 1 which accused him of making “hateful, vile and divisive” remarks on the party President Rahul Gandhi’s decision to contest from a second Lok Sabha seat Wayanad in Kerala as “a seat where the minority is majority”.

“The Congress insulted Hindus and the people of the country have decided to punish the party in the election. Leaders of that party are now scared of contesting from constituencies dominated by the majority (Hindu) population. That is why they are forced to take refuge in places where the majority is a minority,” Modi had reportedly said.

The Congress alleged that the silence of the EC was an indirect endorsement of the violation of the election Model Code of Conduct.

The 146-page petition was filed by Sushmita Dev, Congress candidate from Assam’s Silchar Lok Sabha constituency.

In the petition, the Congress alleged that the rules and regulations inscribed in the Model Code of Conduct were not meant for the Prime Minister and his party President but applicable only on other candidates.

“It is in public domain that they have indulged in hate speeches, repeatedly used the armed forces for political propaganda, despite a clear prohibition on the same by the EC,” said the petition.

The petition alleged that since March 10, after the notification for the elections was issued, Modi and Shah had “violated” the provisions of the Representation of the People Act and the election rules.

With agency inputs