Ahmedabad: The Ahmedabad crime branch on Wednesday registered an FIR against BJP’s PM candidate Narendra Modi for violating the model code, following a stern two-page letter from the Election Commission to Gujarat’s chief secretary and Gandhinagar’s director-general of police.
Mr Modi, speaking in Tirupati later, said that while people are normally booked for “threatening people with knives, pistols and other deadly weapons, I was booked for showing a lotus to the people”.
Mr Modi, who voted at around 9 am at Nishan Vidyalay, Ranip, which falls in Gandhinagar LS constituency from where Mr L.K. Advani is seeking re-election, held a brief press conference at the polling booth premises brandishing a white plastic “lotus”, the BJP’s election symbol.
After voting, Mr Modi came out of the booth and gave a photo-op to the assembled photographers by taking a selfie with his inked finger and the “lotus”.
FIR against electronic media which aired Modi conference
After casting his vote BJP’s PM candidate Narendrta Modi delivered a message to TV cameras encouraging people to vote. He spoke about the nation’s mood and criticised the Congress.
“Today Gujarat is voting. Other states are voting too. Elec-tions are a festival of democracy. Everyone must join this festival of democracy and strengthen it.” Mr Modi said, and then added, “I can sense voters’ mood. This maa-bete ki sarkar to gayi. Congress has accepted defeat.”
The notice from the EC’s principal secretary, K. Ajaya Kumar, followed after a complaint registered by the Congress. It said that “from the substance, tone and tenor of the address made by Mr Modi and the statements made by him was intended and calculated to influence and affect the result of elections in the constituencies going to polls today.”
The crime branch has also registered an FIR against all the news channels and electronic media that telecast Mr Modi’s “press conference”.
