E-Paper
ECI tells Congress, BJP chiefs to correct campaign discourse
In its communication, the ECI reiterated that “the MCC (Model Code of Conduct) has a specific prohibition against use of armed forces for campaigning purposes”.
In separate but similarly worded guidances that take no names and are addressed to the presidents of the Congress and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked the two parties to rein in their star campaigners. ECI’s letters to J P Nadda of the BJP and Mallikarjun Kharge of the Congress are a follow up to its notice dated April 21 to the two party chiefs, and a response to the reply provided by them.
Specifically (and this is the only substantive difference between the two advisories), ECI has asked Kharge to ensure that the Congress’s star campaigners do not make statements like “anyone can either abolish or sell or tear apart the Constitution of India etc.” as it “is alleged to be instilling fear in the mind of voters about an uncertain future and an attempt to spread anarchy in the country”. The poll body noted that such practices may “prejudicially affect the prospects of certain candidates and thus, may border as a corrupt practice under section 123(4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951”.
In its communication to Kharge, ECI reiterated that “the MCC (Model Code of Conduct) has a specific prohibition against use of armed forces for campaigning purposes”.
And it told Nadda that his party’s responses to complaints by the Congress “dwell at length to stoutly defend the campaign methods and utterances of your star campaigners, while making a case for action against INC, the political party that complained against you”. “However, such response ought not to raise or, aggravate anxiousness amongst citizens/electors on the basis of ascribable identity by use of suggestive expressions,” it said.
The ECI also noted that despite being sent a notice, BJP’s star campaigners continued to “allegedly” violate the MCC. “It is noted that even after this notice dated 25.04.2024, and up to 13.05.2024 i.e., date of your reply, rather than accounting for ECI notice of 25.04.2024, in the minimum, as a red flag for future conduct, BJP star campaigners in different election meetings are alleged to be continuously making inter alia following statements alleged to be violative of MCC,” the ECI said in the communication to Nadda.
While the original notices too did not take any names, the one to the BJP president was prompted by a speech by Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 21 in which he suggested that the Congress intends to redistribute public wealth to Muslims.
And the one to the Congress president was prompted by a speech by party leader Rahul Gandhi in Kerala’s Kottayam on April 18 where he alleged the BJP is trying to create a nation with “one religion and one language”.
Those notices followed complaints by the Congress (against the BJP) and the BJP (against the Congress).
In its complaint addressed to ECI on April 21, the Congress listed five instances of “MCC violations” by Modi, including one where he appealed to people to not vote for the Grand Old Party as it is a party of “sinners” who oppose a particular religion.
And in its complaint, dated April 19, addressed to ECI, the BJP referred to Gandhi’s April 12 and April 18 speeches and accused him of making “derisive and obnoxious utterances” against Modi.
HT reached out to Congress’s media and publicity department chairman Pawan Khera for a comment but did not get one immediately. There was also no immediate reaction from the BJP.
This is the first year ECI has written to party presidents regarding MCC violations by their star campaigners. Its usual practice has been to write to the individuals concerned.
