EC warns BJP, Congress against divisive speech
By : Vineeta Pandey
Update: 2024-05-22 16:14 GMT
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday asked the BJP and the Congress to desist from campaigning along caste, community, language, and religious lines. In a letter sent to the presidents of both national parties, the ECI told them to mind the language and content of the speeches made by their star campaigners.
Asserting that India's socio-cultural milieu cannot be made a casualty of elections, the ECI asked the presidents of the two national parties to issue formal notes to their star campaigners to correct their discourse, exercise care, maintain decorum, and avoid making statements prohibited under the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
The ECI's order comes at a time when the polls enter the sixth phase of the ongoing seven-phase Lok Sabha elections. The ECI told the parties, "The utterances of the concerned star campaigners follow patterns and create narratives that can be damaging beyond the MCC period. Technical loopholes or extreme interpretations of other political parties' utterances cannot discharge star campaigners from the core responsibility of their own content, which ought to be corrective to the ongoing discourse and not further plummet the quality of campaign discourse."
Last month, the ECI issued a notice to BJP president J.P. Nadda over allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a divisive speech in Rajasthan's Banswara. The EC had then asked Nadda to direct his party's star campaigners to desist from campaigning on religious and communal lines.
On Wednesday, the ECI rejected the BJP's explanation of its notice and asked the BJP to stop campaign speeches that may divide society.
The ECI sought a reply from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to allegations against Rahul Gandhi regarding his remarks about Agniveer and "that the Constitution will be changed by the BJP."
The EC had also rejected Kharge's response and asked the Congress not to politicise the defence forces and refrain from making potentially divisive statements regarding the socio-economic composition of the armed forces. It also asked the Congress to ensure that its star campaigners and candidates do not make statements which give a false impression that the Constitution may be abolished or sold.
The ECI asked the BJP and the Congress to fully align their campaign methods with the practical aspects of the composite and sensitive fabric of India.
In a letter to Nadda, the ECI told him to direct all star campaigners not to make speeches and statements that may divide society, refrain from any utterances or campaigning on communal lines, and maintain decorum.
Asserting that India's socio-cultural milieu cannot be made a casualty of elections, the ECI asked the presidents of the two national parties to issue formal notes to their star campaigners to correct their discourse, exercise care, maintain decorum, and avoid making statements prohibited under the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
The ECI's order comes at a time when the polls enter the sixth phase of the ongoing seven-phase Lok Sabha elections. The ECI told the parties, "The utterances of the concerned star campaigners follow patterns and create narratives that can be damaging beyond the MCC period. Technical loopholes or extreme interpretations of other political parties' utterances cannot discharge star campaigners from the core responsibility of their own content, which ought to be corrective to the ongoing discourse and not further plummet the quality of campaign discourse."
Last month, the ECI issued a notice to BJP president J.P. Nadda over allegations that Prime Minister Narendra Modi gave a divisive speech in Rajasthan's Banswara. The EC had then asked Nadda to direct his party's star campaigners to desist from campaigning on religious and communal lines.
On Wednesday, the ECI rejected the BJP's explanation of its notice and asked the BJP to stop campaign speeches that may divide society.
The ECI sought a reply from Congress president Mallikarjun Kharge to allegations against Rahul Gandhi regarding his remarks about Agniveer and "that the Constitution will be changed by the BJP."
The EC had also rejected Kharge's response and asked the Congress not to politicise the defence forces and refrain from making potentially divisive statements regarding the socio-economic composition of the armed forces. It also asked the Congress to ensure that its star campaigners and candidates do not make statements which give a false impression that the Constitution may be abolished or sold.
The ECI asked the BJP and the Congress to fully align their campaign methods with the practical aspects of the composite and sensitive fabric of India.
In a letter to Nadda, the ECI told him to direct all star campaigners not to make speeches and statements that may divide society, refrain from any utterances or campaigning on communal lines, and maintain decorum.
To Kharge, the ECI directed him to ensure that star campaigners desist from indulging in any political propaganda involving the activities of the defence forces and refrain from making potentially divisive statements about the socio-economic composition of the forces.