ECI Gives Clean Chit To Modi & Shah; No Violation OF Model Code Of Conduct Found

Before the expiry of the deadline set by the Supreme Court, the Election Commission of India has disposed of the complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP President Amit Shah alleging model code of conduct violations, giving clean chits to the duo. .

 Last week, the SC had directed the poll body to take decision on all pending complaints by May 6, while considering a petition filed by Congress MP from Silchar Sushmita Dev, who  said that they have given 11 representations to EC against the duo but it has taken decision on only two.

Before that, the poll panel had given clean chit to PM Modi for two of his speeches -- one in Latur last month urging first time voters to dedicate their votes in the name of Balakot air strike heroes and soldiers killed in the Pulwama attack, and the other in Wardha on April 1, slamming Congress chief Rahul Gandhi where he had also indicated that the Kerala constituency had more voters from the minority community.

On May 2, the Commission disposed of a third complaint against Modi, finding no violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by him in his speech in Barmer in Rajasthan where he had warned Pakistan, saying India's nuclear arsenal is not meant for Diwali. "Every other day they used to say 'we have nuclear button, we have nuclear button'. What do we have then? Have we kept it for Diwali?" he had said.

On Saturday, it gave Modi clean chit in a complaint regarding mentioning of Wing Commander's Abhinandan's return in connection with election campaigning.

Last month, the Commission had issued an advisory against using photos and functions of armed forces in election campaigning.

Amit  Shah's comments, also on Wayanad, where in a speech in Nagpur, he said "Rahul Gandhi is contesting in such a place where it is impossible to say when a procession is taken out, whether it is a procession in India or Pakistan", were also not found objectionable by the ECI.

Curiously, none of these orders are not seen uploaded in the official website of ECI.

As per the reports of The Indian Express and NDTV, the poll body's decisions in these cases were no unanimous. The EC comprises Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and Election Commissioners Ashok Lavasa and Sushil Chandra. One officer has reportedly dissented in all these decisions.