The Indian Express has learned that the poll watchdog, in its deliberations, found no violation of the MCC, as it concluded that the PM was merely listing the achievements of his government at the Pilibhit rally
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s reference to the construction of the Ram Temple in an election rally is not an appeal to vote in the name of religion. Mentioning the development of the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, a route for Sikh pilgrimage, along with the government’s action of bringing back copies of the Guru Granth Sahib — the Sikh holy book — from Afghanistan in a constituency with a sizeable Sikh population, does not violate the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
This is the decision that the Election Commission (EC) is likely to communicate in its first disposal of a complaint against the Prime Minister alleging Model Code violations, The Indian Express has learned.
The decision is based on a complaint filed by Supreme Court lawyer Anand S Jondale, who alleged that Modi violated the MCC by seeking votes for “his party in the name of Hindu deities and Hindu places of worship as well as Sikh deities and Sikh places of worship” during his address at a public rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit on April 9.
This story was originally published in indianexpress.com. Read the full story here.