Over 700 Civil Society Members Complained of Violation of Model Code of Conduct by PM, Demanded Equal Time for Opposition

NEW DELHI, Apr 20: After the opposition party leaders, more than 700 civil society activists have complained to the Election Commission of India against the Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the Model Code of Conduct through his address to the nation on the women’s reservation bill and have demanded equal time allocation on the national media to the opposition parties to ensure a level-playing field in the elections.

The signatories to the letter dated April 20 addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner included former bureaucrats and academics who have demanded an inquiry into Mr Modi’s address to the nation two days ago, claiming that it was a “clear and blatant” violation of the MCC.

The use of official government machinery and mass media by the Prime Minister, “for what amounted to electioneering and partisan propaganda” during the operation of the MCC, constituted its “serious breach” and such action provided an “undue advantage” to the party in power undermining the level playing field essential for free and fair elections, it said.

They said the address was a clear violation of the MCC if it was not done with the EC’s prior permission and asked the poll body to immediately order the removal of the speech from all official records, government websites, and media platforms, and take other suitable deterrent action for the violation.

The complaint was signed by 714 people, including Congress leader Digvijaya Singh, former bureaucrats Najeeb Jung and MG Devasahayam, academicians Zoya Hasan and GN Devy, musician TM Krishna, and activists Anjali Bhardwaj and Yogendra Yadav among others.

Emphasizing that it was a violation of the MCC, they asked the EC to immediately initiate an inquiry into the contents and manner of the address and examine the transcript. They demanded necessary action against the violation so as to uphold the sanctity of the electoral process and ensure a level playing field for all parties and candidates. “If the said address to the nation was delivered with the prior permission of the Election Commission, then equal time on the national media should be provided to other parties to present their points of view,” it said.

The letter asked the EC to issue appropriate directions and take necessary action against the violation so as to uphold the sanctity of the electoral process and ensure a level playing field for all political parties. It also asked EC to inform the complainants of the action taken at the earliest.

(Rohit Kumar)