'PM Modi's address on women's quota violated model code': CPM, CPI write to Election Commission; flag use of state broadcasters

NEW DELHI: The Communist Party of India (Marxist) and the Communist Party of India (CPI) on Sunday wrote to the Election Commission (ECI), seeking action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his address to the nation on the Women’s Reservation Bill after it failed to pass in the Lok Sabha.Both parties alleged that PM Modi’s remarks violated the Model Code of Conduct, which is currently in force ahead of the assembly elections in Tamil Nadu and West Bengal. They also objected to the speech being broadcast on Doordarshan, the state-run broadcaster. "The content, tone, and messaging of the address can by no stretch of imagination be termed as governmental communication. It was blatantly political, targeting the opposition parties – naming many of them – and seeking to influence public opinion, including the voters of Tamil Nadu and West Bengal, in favour of the ruling party," CPM general secretary MA Baby wrote in his letter to Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) Gyanesh Kumar."Usage of a public broadcaster as a platform for political messaging during an election by the incumbent prime minister creates an uneven playing field and undermines the principle of free and fair elections," he added.Separately, CPI leader Sandosh Kumar also wrote to the CEC, terming the prime minister’s speech “partisan” and a “direct attempt to influence public opinion.”“What is even more concerning is that this address was broadcast on national public broadcasters such as Doordarshan and Sansad TV. The use of state resources and publicly funded platforms for disseminating what is essentially a political speech constitutes a grave breach of electoral norms. It undermines the level playing field that the Election Commission is constitutionally mandated to uphold,” he wrote.Kumar added that any inaction against the prime minister would risk signalling “institutional complicity” and could erode public confidence in the ECI’s impartiality.West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also accused PM Modi of “misusing” the political machinery and declared that her party, the Trinamool Congress, would file a complaint with the poll body over alleged violation of the model code.“They (BJP) misused the government machinery yesterday for political campaigns. We condemn this and will file a complaint. You (PM Modi) have to answer to the people of India that you are doing an illegal campaign for your party,” she said at a poll rally in Hooghly district's Tarakeswar.Her remarks came after the prime minister’s address to the nation at 8:30 pm on Saturday, a day after a bill to implement 33% reservation for women in legislatures from 2029 was defeated in the Lok Sabha.In his address, he warned the Congress and its allies that the women of India would “severely punish them” for what he termed the “sin of foeticide.” Besides the Congress he targeted Trinamool Congress, Samajwadi Party and DMK for voting against the legislation.