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Lok Sabha elections: Congress files complaint to ECI against PM Modi’s remarks on its manifesto

The Congress complained to the Election Commission of India (ECI) on April 8 against Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks targeting the party and comparing its Lok Sabha poll manifesto with that of the Muslim League.

A delegation of Congress leaders met ECI officials and raised several issues, including the use of pictures and large cut-outs of the Prime Minister in government buildings and colleges and demanded that those be removed to maintain a level-playing field in the upcoming parliamentary election.

Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said the party has filed a complaint against Modi for making comments against it, alleging that its manifesto attempts to divide the country and impose the pre-independence ideology of the Muslim League.

The Prime Minister has said in his election rallies that the Congress’ manifesto for the upcoming general election smacks of the “politics of appeasement” and carries the imprint of the Muslim League, with “every page reeking of breaking India”.

“Every page reeks of breaking India into pieces. The Congress manifesto reflects the same thinking that was prevalent in the Muslim League during the freedom movement. It completely bears the imprint of the Muslim League and whatever is remaining is completely dominated by the Leftists,” Modi has said.

After meeting the EC officials, Congress leader Pawan Khera said, “We have raised such points before the EC on which we have also discussed earlier and have been registering our objections. Pictures of the prime minister wearing a military uniform are being misused during the election campaign. There is already an advisory of the EC that this cannot be done during elections. We have urged the EC to take action on this issue as the BJP is continuously committing such crimes.” Khera was accompanied by party leaders Mukul Wasnik, Salman Khurshid and Gurdeep Sappal.

The Congress filed another complaint with the poll panel against the use of armed forces in the election campaigning by the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), in violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and the EC’s notifications in this regard.

The Opposition party also raised its earlier complaint made to the EC on April 6 against Minister of State for Electronics and Information Technology Rajeev Chandrasekhar for allegedly giving false information pertaining to his financial status in his election affidavit, in contravention of the provisions of the Representation of People Act, Indian Penal Code and the jurisprudence of the Supreme Court.

Another complaint was made against the life-size hoardings and banners of the prime minister installed in various colleges of the Delhi University under the ‘Viksit Bharat @2047: Voice of Youth Campaign’, in violation of the provisions of the MCC that say advertisements, hoardings made at the cost of the state exchequer cannot be used by political parties as the same amounts to poll campaigning at the public’s expense.

The Congress said photographs of ministers and other political functionaries cannot be displayed in government-owned buildings and premises as the same would go against the principles of “level-playing field”.

It reiterated its complaint made on April 5 against public service broadcaster Doordarshan for airing “The Kerala Story” and said it is “a work of fiction that vilifies a religious community and lends credence to the idea of Love Jihad being writ large in the country”.

Publicising such propaganda films could polarise the voters, resulting in communal discord on the lines of religious identity, totally against the spirit of free-and-fair elections, the opposition party said in its complaint to the EC.