The Janata Dal (United) has demanded arrest of BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi for his alleged violation of The Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct.
On Wednesday the Commission had ordered registration of an > FIR against Mr. Modi after he spoke to the media after outside a polling booth in Ahmedabad after casting his vote flashing his party’s election symbol in the presence of his cheering supporters.
In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, JD (U) general secretary K C Tyagi complained that no concrete action has taken against Mr. Modi for his repeated violation of electoral laws.
"Never in the history of Indian democracy, has any prime ministerial candidate ever violated the Model Code of Conduct and People's Representation Act the way Modi did yesterday. However, no action has been taken against him till now except for filing FIRs," Mr. Tyagi said in his letter.
"We demand that the elections of Narendra Modi's both the constituencies (Vadodara in Gujarat and Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh) be countermanded immediately and he should be arrested and stopped from participating from the remaining elections for violating the model code of conduct and Representation of People Act.
"We hope that this time >EC will take strong action to re-establish its control on the election process and give a strong message to all those who are trying to communalise the entire election process in the country," the letter said.
Citing the example of Amit Shah and Azam Khan, Mr. Tyagi said that while action against both was welcomed by all, the Commission withdrew the ban on Mr. Shah which "raises doubt on election commission's impartiality against a particular party".
Separately, the EC in an order condemned the repeated hate speeches of the union minister Beni Prasad Verma and warned in case of any more violation of MCC by him it shall take stricter view against him, which may include but not restricted to, denial of permission to carry out any campaign related activity by him.
The order is a follow up to an earlier notice to Mr. Verma to explain why should not be taken against him for violation of code of conduct by making ‘highly insulting statement’ against Mr. Modi.
The Commission said that it is not at all satisfied with the reply given by the minister and held his statement was violative of the Code.
