The general secretary of CPI (M) Sitaram Yechury has written to the Election Commission on Sunday accusing BJP leaders of violating the poll code, while adding that saffron party cadres are increasingly “indulging in hate mongering through anti-Muslim tropes.”
Mr. Yechury took to X to share his complaint against the electoral body, demanding that it takes immediate action.
“ECI must act immediately. ECI cannot keep silent deliberately, which is tantamount to a betrayal of its constitutional duty to hold free and fair elections,” he stated.
He said in his letter that his party had filed a range of grievances with the EC about BJP leaders who were guilty of Model Code of Conduct violations.
“The present complaints are predicated on an earlier series of complaints lodged by us with the Election Commission of India over serious breaches of conduct rules committed by several members belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party. In these complaints their use fabricated untruths and lies, apprehension raising tactics and openly communal appeals have been underlined Unfortunately none among them led to any action being taken upon their authors by ECI,” he noted.
According to Mr. Yechury, Modi’s notice was sent not to him but BJP president J.P. Nadda marking a departure from past practices.“However, this notice issued by the BJP has made no difference since Prime Minister as well as other party bosses continue disregarding it,” he explained.
Himanta, Adityanath named
“More and more leaders of the BJP are now resorting hatred against the Muslims community through using anti-Muslim tropes,” he said.
In Barabanki (Uttar Pradesh) last Friday, Modi delivered a speech quoted in Mr Yechury’s letter as saying: “If SP & Congress form govt., Ram Lalla will be back under tent & they will run bulldozer over Ram Temple.”
Furthermore, Mr. Yechury mentioned a rally held by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath in Saran(Bihar) on May 17th, and the speech given by Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma at an election meeting in Raghunathpur of Siwan (Bihar) on May 18th.
In his speech, Mr. Adityanath urged that “Congress-RJD duo are trying to snatch away quotas from SCs/STs/OBCs and give them to minorities.”
The CPI(M) alleged that Mr Sarma’s statement included this: NDA would reintroduce UCC on our return to power so as to end ‘this business of marrying four times’ and then add “we will shut down shops that produce mullas”.
“We request the Commission not only to take action on this complaint but also against Narendra Modi, Yogi Adityanath and Himanta Biswa Sharma for similar previous complaints” said Sitaram Yechury.
“However, through these complaints we had warned the Commission long before that its failure to act decisively when high officials are involved may seriously call into question the impartiality of ECI and undermine its reputation”, he added.
Many complaints
CPI(M) have made several complaint against Mr. Modi and other BJP leaders for breaching the Model Code of Conduct, including his addressing at Banswara in Rajasthan.
Mr. Modi addressing a rally in Banswara on April 21 has hinted that if Congress were to come to power it would “distribute” wealth among Muslims.
Opposition parties had complained about this and therefore Election commission issued the notice to Mr. Nadda.
A letter written by CPI (M) to EC also cited instances where Modi seemed to invoke Ram Temple in Ayodhya, accusing Opposition parties of being ‘anti-Ram’ or ‘enemies of Lord Ram’, ‘opponents of the temple’ or slandering Lord Ram.
The letter cited speech he made on April 7, 2020, at Nawada in Bihar, another held on April 9th at Pilibhit in Uttar Pradesh and that delivered on April 6th at Ajmer in Rajasthan.
