The Electoral Commission maintains an extraordinarily vigilant stance regarding grievances aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi, as expressed by the Congress on Thursday subsequent to the electoral body’s summons to the BJP for addressing complaints filed by opposition factions. These complaints allege the Prime Minister’s delivery of a speech in Rajasthan that was deemed divisive.
Additionally, the Electoral Commission has requested the Congress’s response to complaints lodged by the BJP against Mallikarjun Kharge, the principal figure of the opposition party, and Rahul Gandhi, its senior figure, regarding their remarks. Jairam Ramesh, Congress’s general secretary overseeing communications, remarked on the matter, stating, “We lodged a complaint with the Electoral Commission, bringing to their attention the Prime Minister’s language, which we contend violates the Model Code of Conduct, the Representation of the People Act, 1951, and several rulings of the Supreme Court.”
“We have encountered a delay, and we have also filed complaints regarding other candidates exploiting religious sentiments for electoral gain. We are confident that the Electoral Commission will take appropriate action. We shall respond to the notice we have received,” added Ramesh. Emphasizing the issuance of notice to the BJP’s party president, Ramesh posed a question regarding the rationale behind such notice issuance.
“There were no complaints against former Prime Ministers P V Narasimha Rao, Atal Bihari Vajpayee, and Manmohan Singh. This marks the second instance of our lodging a complaint against the Prime Minister. Previously, we had filed a complaint against the Home Minister (Amit Shah), but no action was taken; however, action was taken against the Chief Minister of Assam,” Ramesh elaborated.
“We anticipate that the Electoral Commission will objectively review the grievances raised by various parties and issue notices wherever warranted,” he continued. When asked if the party believes that notice should have been served to the Prime Minister, Ramesh responded, “The Electoral Commission exercises an exceedingly cautious approach, particularly concerning the Prime Minister and the Home Minister.”
In a missive addressed to BJP President J P Nadda, the Electoral Commission called for a response by Monday regarding complaints lodged by the Congress, CPI, and CPI (ML) concerning Modi’s “divisive and derogatory” remarks made on April 21 in Banswara. Nadda was also urged to remind all star campaigners within the party to adhere strictly to the standards of political discourse and comply with the provisions of the model code of conduct.
Officials noted that this marks the first instance wherein the panel has taken cognizance of complaints against a sitting Prime Minister. The Electoral Commission has invoked provisions of the Representation of the People Act, designating party presidents as the initial step in curbing the activities of star campaigners.
Separately, a similarly-worded communication was dispatched to the Congress President regarding allegations leveled against him and Gandhi by the BJP. While the letters addressed to the two-party presidents refrained from directly naming Modi, Gandhi, or Kharge, the attached representations contained details of the allegations against these three leaders.