CPIM to Election Commission: take re-look at PM Modi’s “Mission Shakti” announcement and other violations

In a letter addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner, Sunil Arora, the Communist Party of India-Marxist (CPIM) has complained over what it calls “brazen violations” of the model code of conduct by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In the letter, Nilotpal Basu – CPIM politburo member – has urged the EC to “kindly recall” that the CPIM had “pointed out” to it the “impropriety of the public broadcast by the Prime Minister”. Referring to the public address by Narendra Modi after the destruction of a low-orbit satellite by an anti-satellite missile – which is being called “Mission Shakti” – Basu stated that the EC had given a clean chit to the broadcast of the Prime Minister’s speech when the CPIM had first raised complaints against it.

It was however, only limited to examining the role of the broadcaster – Doordarshan – while stating that the Prime Minister’s speech had not violated the model code of conduct.

Basu mentioned in his letter however, that “the fundamental question was whether the Prime Minister, who is also a candidate of the BJP, can use the office and the prerogatives to try and influence for the sake of electoral benefit? However, the Commission chose to restrict the question to the role of the DD and gave the national broadcaster a clean chit.”

He added that “Now our attention has been drawn to a tweet by Doordarshan News @DDNewsLive for urging people to watch live the PM’s addresses for his #MainBhiChowkidar programme through videoconferencing”. A printout of the tweet was also submitted to the ECI along with the complaint.

Basu’s letter further accuses the BJP of making an “unabashed attempt” of politicising the Balakot air strikes and milking the situation to their political advantage in spite of the EC clearly forbidding the “use of armed forces in the election campaign”.

He also noted that the Uttar Pradesh chief minister Yogi Adityanath’s reference to the Indian Army as “Modi ji ki sena” (PM Modi’s army) – was also an outright violation of the model code.

The CPIM further pointed out in the letter that the Prime Minister making a veiled reference to the recent outcome of a National Investigative Agency (NIA) court case where he compared the accused to the entire Hindu community was also flouting of the model code. This took place when the Prime Minister was addressing political rally in Wardha in Maharashtra when he stated that the Congress had come up with the coinage “Hindu terror” and had hurt the Hindus by doing so.

The CPIM has urged the EC to take “appropriate measures” so that polling can be “free and fair” in the country. Citing these examples, the party has accused the BJP of vitiating the atmosphere in the country by violating the codes laid down by the EC.