Congress lodges complaint with EC against Modi's Rajasthan rally speech

Congress lodges complaint with EC against Modi’s Rajasthan rally speech

A delegation of the Congress led by Abhishek Manu Singhvi on Monday met the Election Commission and submitted over a dozen of complaints, including against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, over alleged violations of the model code of conduct in the Lok Sabha polls.

Talking to reporters after meeting with the ECI, Singhvi said, “Among the 17 complaints, I have enlarged upon and discussed in detail only five to six before the Election Commission (EC). The most important is the first one which deals with extremely objectionable comments of no less than the Chief Executive of this government.”

Referring to PM Narendra Modi’s remarks in Rajasthan’s Banswara on Sunday at a public rally, he said, “We respect the office he holds . He is as much our Prime Minister as he is of the BJP . The higher the post he holds, the more the obligation to exercise him restrains. Unfortunately the statement we have quoted is seriously, ridiculously objectionable.”

The senior Congress leader further said, “What he said I am not going to quote. Four or five elements of his statement are deeply objectionable. He has named a community, talked of religion blatantly, about communal and community blatantly. We would pray to him with folded hands to withdraw these comments and to clarify.”

“We have asked the Election Commission to state that this is the position in law, we will do in his respect, whatever we do with others,’’ he said.

The Congress in its complaint filed against the PM, wrote, “On Sunday, the PM, as a part of BJP’s election campaign for the LS elections, addressed a public rally of electors at Banswara, Rajasthan. We have objections to the entire tone and tenor of the PM’s speech.”

“We wish to highlight the completely unprecedented and malicious allegations as well statements which are clearly aimed at creating enmity between groups, far worse than any ever made by a sitting PM in the history of India. This cannot go unchecked, unanswered and unpunished,” it said.

Claiming that the party has filed “numerous” complaints against the PM and the BJP, the party said, “However, till date, Election Commission has not even issued a show-cause notice to the said individual, much less initiate action against them. The EC must ask itself if the same leeway would be granted to any other candidate if they so arrogantly and repeatedly defied the laws of our country.”

“We hope that the EC treats this situation with the gravity it deserves. This is not a candidate who will be silenced by a simple censure. However, the integrity of our elections which are the bedrock of our democracy is at stake. We hope that the EC intervenes decisively,” the Congress said.