EC's second clean chit to PM Modi, says no poll code violation on Pulwama, Balakot remarks
New Delhi, May 1 (UNI): Second day in a row, the Election Commission on Wednesday gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his speech about Pulwama terror attack and the Balakot air strike, at Latur in Maharashtra on April 9, and said there was no violation of Model Code of Conduct.
Modi had appealed to first time voters to dedicate their votes to martyrs of Pulwama attack and soldiers who carried out the Balakot air strike.
“I want to ask my first-time voters, can your first vote be dedicated to the soldiers who conducted the Balakot air strikes? Can your first vote be in the name of the martyrs who lost their lives in Pulwama,” Mr Modi had said.
The poll body said that “the matter has been examined in detail in accordance with the extant advisories, provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and after examination of complete transcript of speech of 11 pages as per the certified copy sent by the Returning Officer, 40 Osmanabad Parliamentary constituency”.
“Commission is of the considered view that in this matter no such violation of the extant advisories/provisions is attracted,” the Commission said.
On Tuesday, the election body had exonerated Mr Modi for his speech at Wardha, where he had said Congress president Rahul Gandh’s decision to contest from Wayanad constituency in Kerala as his second seat, was taking 'refuge in areas where majority is in minority'.
The Congress had approached Commission against Prime Minister’s speech, citing violation of poll body’s directive to the candidates and political parties to desist from using armed forces for electioneering.
In a separate order, the Commission also gave a clean chit to Madhya Pradesh chief minister Kamal Nath for the statement he made at a rally in Harsud in Khandwa District in the state on April 14.
“The Commission did not find any violation of the Model Code of Conduct,” it said.
However, the poll body has barred Congress’ Surat city president Babubhai Rayka from campaigning for three days beginning 1600 hrs on May 2 till May 5, for the “use of intemperate and abusive language transgressing the limits of decency” while addressing party workers and voters on April 11.
On the statement ‘booth jitao, naukri pao’ by Madhya Pradesh Minister P.C. Sharma, on April 3 at Narmada Bhawan Bhopal while addressing the party workers, the Commission decided that further action is not required since an FIR has been filed by DEO Bhopal on April 8 against Mr Sharma and others.
Image credit: Avishek Mitra/IBNS
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