EC issues 'tame' warnings to BJP, Congress chiefs; Oppn unimpressed

Bengaluru, NT Bureau: The Election Commission (EC) directed BJP national president JP Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge to ask their star campaigners to correct discourse in separate letters on Wednesday.

The letters referred to star campaigners and didn’t name anyone but the original complaints by the Congress and BJP against each other dating back to April had been against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Wayanad MP Rahul Gandhi respectively.

Back in April, there had been 12 complaints against BJP and four against Congress. In response, the EC issued notices to Nadda and Kharge demanding explanations from both parties on alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

The parties had written back but on Wednesday, the commission deemed the replies “untenable”.

The poll body told Nadda to ask his party to “refrain from any campaigning methods / utterances along religious communal lines”.

“When their (Congress’) government was in power, they said Muslims had the first right on the property of the country. This means they will collect this property and distribute it to whom? They will distribute it to those who have more children, to infiltrators” – PM Modi, Banswara, Rajasthan, April 26, misquoting a speech by then PM Manmohan Singh in 2006

The EC also told Kharge the claim that “anyone can either abolish or tear apart the Constitution of India is alleged to be instilling fear in the minds of voters about an uncertain future and an attempt to spread anarchy in the country.”

“Desist as part of the election campaigning from indulging in any political propaganda involving activities of the defence forces and not to make potentially divisive statements regarding socioeconomic composition of Defence forces,” EC told Kharge.

Credibility lost, says Oppn

However, the Opposition parties said that the EC directives didn’t address their concerns.

“None of the issues raised in our complaints against the incendiary communal speeches of Modi and other BJP leaders have been addressed by EC in today’s directive. EC is handling such grievous MCC violations with kid gloves. Meekly handing out directives ‘maintain decorum’ etc. cannot restore its credibility.”

“PM Narendra Modi has made two types of Jawans. One is the son of a poor, Dalit, minorities and the other is from a rich family. He has given a new name to the son of the poor, Agniveer, who won't be getting any facilities like pension, canteen…. but, if you are a senior officer or one amongst the four, you'll get all those things” —Congress MP Rahul Gandhi, May 13, Rae Bareli, UP, referring to the Centre’s Agniveer scheme

CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury said. “The sheer brazenness of the statements of the outgoing PM and his senior colleagues like the outgoing Home Minister can in no way be compared to the statements made by leaders of the Congress against which complaints have been lodged. Level-playing field cannot mean drawing a wholly bogus equivalence,” Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said.