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Supreme Court to hear Congress plea over EC’s inaction on Modi, Shah’s speeches

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Supreme Court to hear Congress plea over EC’s inaction on Modi, Shah’s speeches

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The Supreme Court today (Monday, April 29) agreed to urgently hear a Congress petition about the Election Commission of India (ECI) not taking action on continued hate speeches and misuse of the armed forces as political propaganda by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah.

In one of the most direct attacks against the EC, the 146-page petition said there was one set of rules for Modi and Shah, and another for the rest of the candidates.

The Congress sought directions to the poll body to decide on such complaints within 24 hours.

A Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice of India Ranjan Gogoi said it will hear the Congress’s plea on Tuesday.

Congress MP Sushmita Dev said the Election Commission had not acted on the party’s complaints against PM Modi and Amit Shah for three weeks. The Congress petition said the EC’s continued silence on complaints about hate speeches and misuse of the armed forces as political propaganda by Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah amounted to a “tacit endorsement” of their conduct.

The Congress said that 40 representations on violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) were moved in the ECI so far, but no action had been coming from the poll body, which should be devoted to the concept of free and fair elections in a democracy. The delay in action, the Congress said, was a deliberate action itself.

Dev said Modi and Shah used “hate speech” at rallies to polarise voters and referred to the operations by the armed forces in their political propaganda despite a ban on such speeches.

The Congress said PM Modi violated the model code with a speech at a rally in Gujarat on April 23, after he cast his vote and held a roadshow-type event.

The Congress alleged Amit Shah violated the election code by politicising the armed forces in election speeches.

The EC had last month categorically told political parties to desist from referring to actions taken by the military in their poll campaigns in the wake of the Pulwama terror attack and the Balakot air strikes earlier this year.

The Congress has alleged that despite such clear instructions, Modi and Shah repeatedly cited military operations undertaken by the armed forces under the BJP rule at election rallies.

The petition said that since March 10, when the general election was notified, Modi and Shah had “specifically in sensitive areas and States, ex-facie violated the provisions of the Representation of the People Act and the Election Rules and the process.”

It stated, “It is in public domain that they have indulged in hate speeches, repeatedly used the armed forces for political propaganda, despite a clear prohibition on the same by the ECI.”

PM Modi claimed at a campaign rally in Gujarat’s Surendranagar district on April 17 that his government had called Pakistan’s bluff after the Pulwama terror attack, which resulted in the death of 40 CRPF personnel on the Jammu-Srinagar highway on February 14. “Earlier terrorists from Pakistan would carry out attacks in our country and go back unscathed, threatening to launch their nuclear bombs if we retaliate. But we have the nuclear bomb of nuclear bombs. I told them to do what they want (but we will retaliate),” said Modi.

The Congress petition narrated how “the Prime Minister in blatant violation of the MCC held a rally on the day of polling in Gujarat on April 23, 2019 i.e. date of voting for the third phase of the election.”

The petition detailed the various reported utterances of the Prime Minister that allegedly violated the MCC, from portraying Congress president Rahul Gandhi’s choice of Wayanad as “a seat where the minority is majority” to the calling for votes in the names of the CRPF soldiers killed in a terrorist attack in Pulwama, Kashmir.

Amit Shah claimed at a public meeting in Bihar’s Sitamarhi on Sunday that the Modi government had secured the country’s borders and made national security its main priority. “India is only the third country after Israel and United States to have retaliated to terrorism in this brave manner,” he said.

The Congress in its petition said, “Inaction on the part of the ECI is a sign of invidious discrimination and is arbitrary, capricious and impermissible… certain selected very powerful individuals have been permitted to gain an unfair electoral advantage by their material infractions of the RP Act, Election Rules and the MCC.”

Such brazen violations were neither minor nor procedural, in any manner, it added.

Recounting how leaders like Mayawati were banned from campaigning for 72 hours for violating the MCC, the petition said that the lack of action against the Prime Minister and the BJP president despite cogent evidences, representations and exhortations to the ECI “demonstrates abdication and indecision and a complete absence of justice, in ensuring a level playing field in ensuing General Elections for the Lok Sabha.”

It said, “The inactions, omissions and commissions by the Respondent/ECI are in complete and direct violation of Articles 14 and 21 of the Constitution and which are impeding free, fair and unbiased General Elections, 2019.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]

2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Mallikarjun Kharge writes to PM Modi seeks time to explain Congress’s Nyay Patra

Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge wrote an open letter to PM Modi and said the Prime Minister is being misinformed by his advisors

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Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge wrote Prime Minister Narendra Modi a letter on Thursday, requesting an explanation of the ancient party’s Nyay Patra.

In support of the Congress manifesto, Kharge said that the Nyay Patra aims to give justice to marginalised people from all castes and communities, including women, children, farmers, and labourers.

The Congrss president said, PM’s  advisors are misrepresenting things to him that aren’t even included in our manifesto. Kharge said, he would be more than happy to meet with him in person to explain thehir Nyay Patra’ so that, as prime minister of the country, he dosen’t make any statements that are false.

It has become his  habit to seize on a few words taken out of context, create communal divide, Kharge added.

The Congress leader said that he is neither shocked nor surprised by the language used by the prime minister, in reference to Modi’s recent addresses.

It was expected that the PM and other leaders from his party would start speaking in this manner after he saw the dismal performance of the BJP in the first phase of the elections, he continued.

The impoverished and their rights have been a topic of discussion in Congress (nyay). We know that you and your administration do not care about the underprivileged and destitute, he remarked.

Continuing his attack on the prime minister, Kharge said, PM’s ‘suit-boot ki sarkar’ works for the corporates whose taxes you reduced while the salaried class pays higher taxes. The poor pay GST even on food and salt and the rich corporate claim GST refunds. That is why, when we talk of inequality between the rich and the poor, you are purposely equating it with Hindu and Muslim.

Following the criticisms made by the prime ministers in their recent election speeches, Kharge has responded. Modi has not held back when criticizing the main opposition party at his rallies, accusing them of scheming to redistributing assets and referring to the Congress manifesto as a “imprint of the Muslim League.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Bollywood actor Neha Sharma campaigns for her father Ajit Sharma in Bhagalpur, Bihar

The Bollywood actor posted a video on her Instagram handle which showed her journey through various districts of Bihar, including Kishanganj, Banka, Purnea and Katihar. She was dressed in a traditional salwar kameez and was seen greeting and encouraging the public to cast their votes.

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Bollywood actor Neha Sharma’s recent participation in a roadshow in Bihar has taken the internet by storm. Sharma, known for her roles in films like Tum Bin 2 and Crook, was seen supporting her father, Ajit Sharma, who is contesting from Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seat on a Congress ticket. The roadshow came amid speculations that the actor might enter politics. But, it is now clear that she was just campaigning for her father.

neha sharma

The Bollywood actor posted a video on her Instagram handle which showed her journey through various districts of Bihar, including Kishanganj, Banka, Purnea and Katihar. She was dressed in a traditional salwar kameez and was seen greeting and encouraging the public to cast their votes.

The actor received a warm reception and love from a large crowd in Pirpainti and Kahalgaon during her roadshow. She wrote on Instagram that it is said when someone gives one a place in their heart, then they live there forever. She said her heart is full of all the love and support she was receiving from the people. She thanked the people for the warm welcome she got in Pirpainti and Kahalgaon. Aapka pyar sar ankhon par.

Another video, circulating on social media showed the actor actively participating in her father’s election campaign in Bhagalpur. The election to the Bhagalpur Lok Sabha seat is set to take place in the 2nd phase on April 26. Ajit Sharma is representing the Congress and is up against JDU’s Ajay Kumar Mandal in this seat.

Earlier, there had been rumours and speculations that Neha Sharma might join politics. But many reports have clarified that she is not making her political debut yet. The Bollywood actor had been offered the opportunity to join politics by her father Ajjit Sharma but she is currently focusing on her acting career.

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2024 Lok Sabha Elections

Mallikarjun Kharge vows to continue politics till his last breath to defeat BJP

The 81-year-old Congress leader was speaking at a election rally in Afzalpur and said that if the people did not vote for the Congress candidate, he would think that he did not have any place in Kalaburagi anymore.

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Congress President M Mallikarjun Kharge on Wednesday appealed to the people of Kalaburagi to at least attend his funeral if they thought he worked for them even though they do not wish to vote for Congress in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The 81-year-old Congress leader was speaking at a election rally in Afzalpur and said that if the people did not vote for the Congress candidate, he would think that he did not have any place in Kalaburagi anymore. The Congress President sought an emotional chord with the people of his home district of Kalaburagi, Karnataka

The grand old party has fielded Kharge’s son-in-law Radhakrishna Doddamani from Kalaburagi, against BJP’s sitting MP Umesh Jadhav. Kharge had won the Lok Sabha elections from Kalaburagi in 2009 and 2014, but lost in 2019. He appealed to the voters to vote for Congress but at least come to his funeral if they thought that he had done some work in Kalaburagi. Kharge added that he would continue in politics till his last breath to defeat the BJP and RSS ideology.

The Congress leader said he is born for politics and whether or not he contests the election, he will continue to strive till his last breath to save the Constitution and democracy of the country. He asserted that he will not retire from politics. Kharge said that retirement happens from a position but one should not retire from his/her principles. He said he is born to defeat the ideology of the BJP and RSS and not to surrender before them.

He advised Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah, who shared the stage with him, to follow his principles. He said he had told Siddaramaiah many times that he may retire as CM or MLA, but he cannot retire from politics till he defeats the ideology of the BJP and RSS.

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