Modi flouted election rules, book him: EC tells Gujarat cops

Ahmedabad, Apr 30: The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday ordered the Gujarat administration to lodge a complaint/FIR against Narendra Modi for delivering a politically charged speech and displaying the BJP's poll symbol lotus in violation of an electoral law soon after exercising his franchise in Gandhinagar.

Congress' legal department secretary KC Mittal lodged a complaint with the poll body, saying Modi's speech and display of symbol violated the Representation of the People (RP) Act and demanded an FIR be registered against him.

Asking the state administration to furnish a compliance report by 6pm, the poll body said, "The Commission is of the view that by holding that meeting and also by addressing the same today when the polling is going on in the entire state of Gujarat and in different parts of the country, Narendra Modi has violated the provisions of sections 126 (1)(a) and 126 (l)(b) of RP Act 1951."

Though it is a normal practice for top leaders to make brief statements before the media after casting their votes, what irked Modi's rivals was a high-voltage speech in which he slammed the Congress.

The BJP's prime ministerial nominee also clicked a selfie prominently displaying the party symbol and posted it on Twitter. After casting his vote, Modi not only fervently asked the electorate to support the BJP but also said the Congress had already accepted defeat.

Acting tough, the EC said all the TV channels that carried the proceedings of the meeting and displayed the election matter should also be booked under Section 126 (l) (b) "by filing separate complaints/FlRs against those channels".

According to the Section 126 (1) (a) and (b) of the Representation of the People (RP) Act, public meetings are prohibited during the period of 48 hours ending with the hour fixed for conclusion of polling.

It also says "no person shall… display to the public any election matter by means of cinematograph, television or other similar apparatus."

The EC took the decision after going through the video recording of the address of Modi at a meeting in Gandhinagar after he exercised his franchise. The BJP's PM nominee is in the fray from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh and Vadodara in Gujarat, where polling was held on Wednesday.

The EC said the substance, tone and tenor of the address made by Modi was "in the nature of political speech intended and calculated to influence and affect the result of elections".

The poll watchdog also referred to its April 9 order that said people cannot enter a polling station with caps, shawls and clothes bearing symbol of any political party.

Modi's speech did not go down well with the Aam Aadmi Party too.

Its Gujarat convenor Sukhdev Patel said, "Modi is a senior politician. He should know his limits."

The BJP defended Modi, saying he had acted within limits. It hit out at the Congress and claimed it was an attempt by the "rattled" party to divert the attention of the people.

"As far as Modi is concerned, he has acted within the ambit of the model code of conduct," BJP general secretary J P Nadda told reporters.