New Delhi: The Election Commission has admonished both the BJP and the Congress, urging them to refrain from electoral strategies rooted in caste, community, language, and religion, emphasizing that the rich tapestry of India’s socio-cultural heritage should not be compromised for political gains.
In missives dispatched to the leaders of both parties, the Commission directed them to formally instruct their principal campaigners to avoid rhetoric that could “fracture societal unity.”
Nearly a month subsequent to issuing a notice to BJP president J P Nadda regarding allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi delivered a polarizing oration in Rajasthan’s Banswara, the electoral watchdog dismissed his justification and reiterated the admonishment for him and his party’s prominent speakers to eschew religious and communal campaigning.
The BJP was further admonished to cease any campaign rhetoric that could engender societal division. Concurrently, a similar directive was issued to Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge, demanding a response to BJP’s grievances against him and senior leader Rahul Gandhi concerning their public declarations.
The Commission also refuted Kharge’s defence and instructed the Congress to abstain from politicizing the armed forces or making statements that might instigate societal discord regarding the military’s socio-economic composition. Additionally, the Congress was cautioned to ensure that its chief campaigners and candidates refrain from making statements that might misleadingly suggest that the Constitution could be abrogated or commodified.
The Election Commission has mandated the leaders of these two major political entities to disseminate formal advisories to their leading campaigners, urging them to realign their discourse, exercise prudence, and uphold decorum in their public engagements.