Congress MP Sushmita Dev has filed an additional affidavit before the Supreme Court (SC) stating that the Election Commission of India (ECI) has failed to appreciate that the hate speeches delivered by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP chief Amit Shah are 'corrupt practices' under Section 123A of the Representation of People Act, 1951.
"The respondent, ECI, failed to appreciate that the hate speeches delivered by Modi and Shah are 'corrupt practices' under the RP Act, which ex-facie promote feelings of enmity and hatred between different classes of the citizens of India on grounds of religion," Dev has stated in the additional affidavit.
The affidavit, which was accessed by ANI, further revealed that the said speeches are also punishable under Section 153A of the Indian Penal Code, 1860, as they "blatantly promote disharmony and feelings of enmity on the grounds of religion and such acts are also likely to prejudice the maintenance of public harmony and tranquility between religious communities."
"It may further be noted that the dissent reported and given by one of the Election Commissioners is not provided along with the order. This demonstrates a complete lack of transparency and arbitrariness of the respondent's decision-making process on complaints against Modi and Shah," the affidavit stated.
"The Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in an act unbecoming of the high office he holds, made unprecedented obscene/derogatory remarks, in a speech on May 6, 2019, by referring to present Congress President Rahul Gandhi's late father and former Prime Minister of India Rajiv Gandhi, in Pratapgarh, Uttar Pradesh," it further stated.
Last week, Prime Minister Modi, while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh, had said that 'your (Rahul Gandhi) father (Rajiv Gandhi) was termed 'Mr Clean' by his courtiers, but his life ended as 'Bhrashtachari No. 1."
Five phases of Lok Sabha elections are now over with two phases remaining to be held on May 12 and 19. The counting of votes will take place on May 23.
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