Spark News India Igniting Minds Daily
The Delhi High Court dismissed a plea on Monday seeking the disqualification of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from contesting elections for six years. The plea alleged that Modi violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by “seeking votes in the name of god and places of worship” during a speech in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit.
Advocate Anand S Jondhale filed the plea, but the court deemed it “thoroughly misconceived” as it was lodged before the Election Commission of India (ECI) had made a decision on the complaint. The court emphasized that presupposing a violation of the MCC was unjustified.
Jondhale submitted his complaint to the ECI on April 10, alleging that Modi sought votes for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by invoking Hindu and Sikh deities and places of worship. He referenced Modi’s remarks about constructing the Ram Temple, developing the Kartarpur Corridor, and other religious initiatives.
During the court proceedings, Jondhale argued that Modi’s speech was divisive and could harm national unity. Advocate Siddhant Kumar, representing the ECI, assured that the complaint would be duly processed.
In response to complaints of MCC violations, the ECI issued separate notices to Modi, Congress chief Mallikaarjun Kharge, and Member of Parliament Rahul Gandhi. The notices emphasized that campaign speeches of star campaigners must adhere to a higher threshold of compliance.
The ECI’s actions followed controversy over Modi’s comments at an election rally in Rajasthan, where he suggested that the Congress intended to redistribute public wealth to Muslims. Opposition leaders criticized Modi’s remarks, labeling them as “hate speech” and calling for a higher standard of political discourse.
