New Delhi: The Election Commission on Tuesday gave a clean chit to PM Modi on his Wardha speech, saying the prime minister did not violate the model code of conduct. In his speech, PM Modi had accused the Congress party of insulting the Hindus by nominating Rahul Gandhi from Wayanad in Kerala, a minority enclave.
“Leaders of that party are now scared of contesting from constituencies dominated by majority (Hindu) population. That is why they are forced to take refuge in places where the majority is in a minority,” PM Modi had said. The Congress had contended that the comments were “hateful and divisive”.
Earlier in the day, the EC got a notice from the Supreme Court on a petition that accuses it of “inaction” regarding complaints against PM Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah. Most of these complaints pertain to the references the two leaders made to the Balakot air strike and Pulwama terror attack in their poll campaign.A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it would hear the case on Thursday.
The Congress had said that even though the complaints have been pending for three weeks, the commission has not responded. “The prime minister has in all the phases sought votes by invoking the valour of the armed forces. The prime minister has also made references to the Pulwama attack,” the Congress had said in a memorandum to the Election Commission.
It had added: “Such habitual violations by the prime minister make it evident that he is not just making a mockery of this Commission but also the armed forces and the defence personnel for his petty political gains.” Another pending complaint is linked to PM’s mini roadshow and speech in Ahmedabad last week.