PM Narendra Modi Urges First Time Voters To Dedicate Vote To Pulwama Martyrs And Balakot Strikes, EC Takes Note

The Election Commission has sought a report from the Maharashtra chief electoral officer after the opposition accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the Model Code of Conduct.

PM Modi while addressing a group of first-time voters in Latur, Maharashtra had urged them to dedicate their vote to the Balakot air strike and to the Pulwama martyrs.

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¡°When you earn your first salary, usually you don¡¯t keep it for yourself. You want to dedicate it to your mother or sister. Similarly, can you dedicate your vote for the Balakot strike, for the Pulwama attack victims, for pucca houses, for drinking water and to ensure that health services reach the poorest of the poor?¡± Modi had said.

This appeal has however drawn sharp criticism from the opposition parties who accused the PM of violating the MCC.

The Election Commission had in a letter to political parties made it clear that they cannot use images or reference of Defence personnel or their actions to seek votes.

CPM Polit Bureau member Nilotpal Basu has written to the Election Commission of India against the PM accusing him of violating the MCC.

"Today, April 9, Prime Minister Narendra Modi has asked first-time voters to dedicate their votes to those who carried out the air strike in Balakot. He stated: "Can your first vote be dedicated to those who carried out the airstrike?", while appealing to first-time voters at a poll rally in Latur in Maharashtra. We are appending herewith media reports to this effect," Basu said in his letter.

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The EC which took cognizance of the matter has sought a report from the state chief electoral officer at the earliest.

The development comes at a time when the EC itself has come under scrutiny for what the opposition and many ex-top government officials say is soft stand on the government and the BJP.

Earlier the Election Commission had 'let off' UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath for his comment "Modi Ji ka Sena" referring to the Indian Army. The EC which had served a notice to Yogi for his comment issued an advisory to him asking him to be more careful.

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Before that, the EC had come under criticism for clearing the Prime Minister's address to the nation on March 27 about the successful launch of India's first anti-satellite weapon (ASAT).

The EC had stated that the PM did not violate the MCC as state broadcasters, AIR and DD were not used for the address.

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Meanwhile, a group of former bureaucrats and diplomats, including Najeeb Jung and Shiv Shankar Menon, has written a letter to President Ram Nath Kovind complaining that the ECI was suffering from "a crisis of credibility" and alleged that the MCC has been violated several times, but the poll body has failed to take action.

"We write to express our deep anguish that the ECI is suffering from a crisis of credibility today. The ECI's independence, fairness, impartiality, and efficiency are perceived to be compromised today, thereby endangering the integrity of the electoral process which is the very foundation of Indian democracy," they said in the letter written on Monday.

The civil servants said they were distressed to note the "misuse, abuse and blatant disregard" of the MCC by the ruling party at the Centre and the ECI's "pusillanimity" in coming down with a heavy hand on these violations.