SC to examine EC clean chit to PM Modi and Amit Shah

NEW DELHI: The Supreme Court on Monday decided to examine the clean chits given to PM Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah by the Election Commission on complaints of Congress accusing them of violating the

model code of conduct

by delivering "hate" speeches, invoking the armed forces and holding a rally in Ahmedabad after voting.


A bench of CJI Ranjan Gogoi and Justice Deepak Gupta asked petitioner Sushmita Dev's counsel, senior advocate AM Singhvi, to bring on record the orders passed by the EC on the party's complaints on alleged MCC violations. It scheduled the next hearing for May 8.

Singhvi said there was limited time available for the SC to decide the justifiability of the EC clean chit to Modi and Shah even when the EC had pulled up other leaders for similar speeches. However, he said the SC should lay down guidelines for the EC to decide complaints on MCC violations in future. He gave a five-point suggestion to the court for firming up the guidelines, which include, the EC giving only 48 hour notice to the person making speeches in alleged violation of MCC; deciding the complaint against him in the next 48 hours; EC to give reasoned orders and upload it in their website; any dissent registered by an EC must also be given to the complainant along with the majority decision.