Congress, CPM asks EC to ‘act with urgency’ against PM Modi

NEW DELHI: Congress and CPM on Monday moved the Election Commission of India against PM Narendra Modi for repeatedly invoking the armed forces during his political campaign and asked the commission to “act with urgency to ensure compliance of all, including Prime Minister Modi, to its own guidelines issued publicly.”

The Congress led a delegation to the EC against the PM’s speeches in Gujarat and Rajasthan, while CPM chief

Sitaram Yechury

, in his letter, said despite clear guidelines issued by the EC that matters of national security, and actions of the Indian armed forces should not to be used as fodder for election speeches, Modi was flouting the guidelines with impunity.

In its memorandum to the EC, Congress referred to Modi’s “brazen and audacious” comments and actions, saying that the PM needs to be reminded that no one is above the law.

“We believe that you have taken cognisance of his speeches in Latur where he called for a vote in the name of Pulwama martyrs, although the details of disciplinary action taken against him are still awaited. Moreover, we are yet to hear on when he would be asked to refrain from insulting the commission’s guidelines, vitiating the

electoral process

and therefore, our democratic exercise,” Yechury said.

On Sunday, April 21, on the last day of campaigning in Gujarat, PM said if Pakistan had not returned the Indian Air Force pilot then it would have been a ‘qatl ki raat’ (night of slaughter).

“By claiming that it is him, and not our armed forces that secured India in the recent air strikes between India and Pakistan, he has gone onto claim that Pakistan sent back Indian Air Force pilot after his threat to Islamabad,” Yechury added.

Calling the PM “irresponsible and callous” in going to the extent of calling for the use of nuclear weapons, Yechury also cited Modi’s Barmer speech on Sunday, Yechury said, “The brazen, reckless invocation of armed forces, armed action and then threats of nuclear war, as something that is a partisan political act he would push for and something on the basis for which a vote is sought, in our opinion, even further compromises the integrity of the electoral process as laid out by the Election Commission.”