Decide before May 6 on poll code violation complaints against Modi, Shah: Supreme Court to EC

The Supreme Court on Thursday asked the Election Commission of India to decide on complaints of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and BJP president Amit Shah before the fourth phase of Lok Sabha elections on May 6.

Earlier on Tuesday, the Supreme Court had deferred the hearing of a petition filed by Congress leader Sushmita Dev against Modi and Shah for violating the Model Code of Conduct till May 2. Today, the court asked the Election Commission to decide on all the nine poll code violation complaints against PM Modi and Amit Shah before the next phase of elections.

The Election Commission told a two-judge bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi that it has already decided on two of the 11 complaints filed by the Congress party against the duo. The poll body had on Wednesday given clean chit to the prime minister, saying that his speech during a Maharashtra rally urging first time voters to cast their votes keeping the Balakot strike in mind, was not the violation of its directions.

The Congress had moved the poll panel alleging that PM Modi had "brazenly" violated the poll code by invoking armed forces repeatedly in his poll campaign and demanded that a campaign ban be imposed on him for some time.

Addressing a rally in Ausa of Latur in Maharashtra on April 9, PM Modi had urged young voters to cast ballots in the name of heroes of the Balakot air strike.

"I want to tell the first-time voters - can your first vote be dedicated to the veer jawans (valiant soldiers) who carried out the air strike in Pakistan. Can your first vote be dedicated to the veer shaheed (brave martyrs) of Pulwama (terror attack)," PM Modi had said.

Senior advocate, A M Singhvi, appearing for Congress Lok Sabha MP Sushmita Dev, who has filed a petition in the apex court on the issue, said that they have given 11 representations to EC against the duo but it has taken decision on only two.

"The remaining representations of the petitioners shall be decided by the Election Commission before we hear the matter again on Monday (May 6)," said the bench also comprising Justices Deepak Gupta and Sanjiv Khanna.