NEW DELHI: Coming down heavily on the BJP and the
Congress
for violation of
Model Code of Conduct
by their
star campaigners
— PM Narendra Modi, Congress chief
Mallikarjun Kharge
and Rahul Gandhi — the
Election Commission of India
on Wednesday said the defence submitted by presidents of the two parties is “not tenebale”.
It directed both Congress and BJP chiefs to ensure compliance of MCC by all its leaders, including star campaigners and instructed all star campaigners to refrain from making any statement, which is prohibited in Clause (1) of General Conduct of MCC — “No party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing difference or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes, communities, religious or linguistics.”
The EC directed the BJP president to convey to all star campaigners to not make any speeches and statements, which may divide the society; refrain from any campaigning methods/ utterances along religious/ communal lines.
It also instructed Congress president to convey to all star campaigners that they don’t make statements, which gives false impressions such as that the Constitution of India may be abolished or sold.
The poll panel said India’ socio-cultural milieu is an enduring preserve and hence cannot be made a casualty to elections and also observed that the “Big two parties cannot not be allowed to weaken the heritage of quality electoral experience of Indian voter”.
The EC directions come just before the last two phases of the ongoing Lok Sabha Election.
