May 30, 2024
NEW DELHI – The Congress on Wednesday filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, in the wake of media reports claiming that he is scheduled to take a three-day meditation break in Tamil Nadu’s Kanyakumari, starting from 30th May.
The party said the reported scheduled trip is “violation” of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
Notably, on Thursday evening on 30th May the campaigning for the seventh and final phase of Lok Sabha elections 2024 will conclude.
A delegation of the Congress leaders comprising Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Randeep Singh Surjewala and Naseer Hussain met the ECI and apprised the matter.
In its memorandum, the Congress said, “On 28th May, several news agencies reported on a trip that Narendra Modi would be taking to Kanyakumari, where he would undertake 48 hours of meditation at the Dhyan Mandapam, starting on 30th May. The said trip would be widely televised and would therefore during the 48 hour silence period in Varanasi, the constituency from which Modi is contesting.”
“Through the meditation trip, Narendra Modi is attempting to circumvent 48 hour silence period and unfairly leverage the ethno-cultural significance of the chosen location in an attempt to bolster his campaign and maximise his vote share in violation of the Representation of the People Act as well as Model Code of Conduct and the orders with respect to dos and don’ts during the election period that political parties and their candidates are required to adhere to,” the party said.
Talking to reporters outside the poll panel’s office, Singhvi while apprising the same said, “We have said in our complaint that no leader can campaign directly or indirectly during the silence period.”
“We have also complained about the vulgar and objectionable advertisement being run from the official social media handles of BJP,” he said.
Altogether, the Congress has filed 28 complaints with ECI on various issues including violation of MCC.
Meanwhile, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh in a post on X wrote, “We hope that the ECI will take immediate steps to ensure that the live telecast of the meditation of the sva-ghoshit Bhagwan at the Vivekananda Memorial does not take place, since that this is a brazen and clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct.”