1 week Ago By TOI News Desk
Jairam Ramesh NEW DELHI: Congress on Thursday wrote to the Election Commission asking the poll body to ban Prime Minister Narendra Modi and home minister Amit Shah from election campaign in Maharashtra and Jharkhand for making "false" remarks in the speeches. In the letter to the EC, Congress accused BJP the two BJP leaders of making "false, divisive, malicious and slanderous" statements during their recent election rallies. The party asked the poll body to ban PM Modi and Shah from participating in election-related activities for the duration of the election period and requested a comprehensive investigation and legal action against those involved in "the BJP's vitriolic and blatantly violative electoral campaign" in Maharashtra and Jharkhand.
Congress general secretary for communications, Jairam Ramesh, submitted a memorandum to the EC regarding statements made by PM Modi during a Maharashtra assembly election rally. "On November 8, at rallies in Nasik and Dhule in Maharashtra, PM Modi made several "false, malicious, and slanderous" assertions targeting the Congress and its allies," the letter posted by Jairam Ramesh read. PM Modi's statements included accusations against prominent Congress leaders and former prime ministers Jawaharlal Nehru, Indira Gandhi and Rajiv Gandhi, the complaint read.
"Thereafter, Narendra Modi levelled allegations against the current leadership of the INC and claimed that the INC was opposed to the interests of the SC, ST and OBC communities. In fact, Mr. Modi went to the extent of claiming that INC was actively promoting infighting amongst the SC, ST and OBCs," Ramesh stated, providing a transcript of the speech.
In PM Modi's November 13 memorandum, the Congress leader alleged that "the tone and tenor of the entire speech is further evidence of the speaker's intention to create and spread religious and caste-based animosity." Referencing PM Modi's November 12 speech at Chandrapur, Maharashtra, the complaint said that the PM "repeated his false and unfounded allegations against the INC and its alliance partners." "However, apart from the allegations, Mr.
Modi yet again made claims and statements, which are directly in violation of the electoral laws and amount to committing offences under criminal law," Jairam Ramesh noted. The memorandum to the EC against the PM emphasised that the BJP star campaigner's caste references for political advantage furthered their "vitriolic and inciteful campaign intended to promote enmity between communities; tarnish and malign the reputation of the Congress and its senior leadership; and mislead the general public, instigating them to oppose the Congress for being against members of the SC, ST, and OBC communities." Regarding Shah, the complaint highlighted statements by the Union home minister that allegedly violated the Model Code of Conduct and electoral laws.
At a November 12 rally in Dhanbad, Jharkhand, Shah made "false, divisive, malicious, and slanderous statements about the Indian National Congress (INC) and its allies," the letter stated. The complaint noted Shah's allegations that Congress and allies opposed SC, ST, and OBC communities while promoting terrorism, and claimed Congress planned to redistribute reservations to a specific religious minority. Later, Jairam Ramesh posted on X: "We have asked @ECISVEEP to investigate BJP and its leaders for their brazen electoral violations.
We hope ECI acts on these complaint with the urgency they require." Maharashtra's polls are scheduled for November 20, while Jharkhand will vote in two phases on November 13 and November 20. The results will be out on November 23.
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