CPI(M) Writes to EC on Repeated Violations of Model Code of Conduct
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Sitaram Yechury, general secretary of the Communist Party of India (Marxist), wrote a letter to Shri Rajiv Kumar, Chief Election Commissioner of the Election Commission of India, on 19th May 2024, regarding repeated violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by PM Modi and other BJP leaders. He also expressed concerns about the ECI’s silence on the series of complaints made regarding such violations. Below we publish the text of the letter.
WE have through a series of complaints earlier brought to the attention of the Election Commission of India the serious violation of the model code of conduct by a number of leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party. Their resort to blatant lies and fabrication, fear mongering and overtly communal appeals were highlighted in these complaints. Sadly, in none of these complaints has the ECI punished the culprits.
We had urged that the commission act against offenders immediately to nip the disease in its bud. Unfortunately, the ECI sought not to act.
In the complaint against the prime minister, the commission, in a departure from precedents, instead of sending notice to him, sent it to the president of the BJP after a lapse of many days and after the issue being raised in various forums.
But this notice to the BJP has had no impact as is revealed by repeated violations both by the prime minister as well as other leaders of the BJP.
More and more leaders of the BJP are now taking resort to inciting hatred against the Muslim community using anti-Muslim tropes.
In the latest of such offensives the prime minister speaking at a rally in Uttar Pradesh’s Barabanki on May 16, 2024 said that "If SP and Congress come to power, Ram Lalla will be in a tent again and they will run a bulldozer on Ram temple”.
Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh, Yogi Adityanath at a rally in Saran on May 17, 2024 said that “It is part of the Congress’ politics of appeasement. They also want to provide reservations on the basis of religion to benefit Muslims only. The Congress and RJD are trying to rob SCs, STs and OBCs of quotas and divert those to Muslims”.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, Assam chief minister and BJP star campaigner said at an election meeting in Raghunathpur in Siwan on May 18 that if the NDA returns to power, it would bring the UCC and put an end to “this business of marrying four times”. Further, in an obvious reference to madrasas, he also said that “we will shut down shops that produce mullas”.
While reiterating our demand for action on the complaints we had lodged with the ECI earlier, we also urge the commission to immediately act against Narendra Modi, Yogi Adidyanath and Hemanta Biswas for the above complaints.
We had through our earlier complaints warned the commission that if it fails to take decisive action in cases where the offenders are those in high positions of power, the impartiality of the ECI will be in question and its credibility compromised.
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