A Congress delegation comprising of party leaders Randeep Singh Surjewala, Abhishek Manu Singhvi and others leave after meeting the Election Commission of India (ECI) at Nirvachan Sadan, in New Delhi, Wednesday, May 29, 2024.
Credit: PTI Photo
New Delhi: Congress on Wednesday told the Election Commission that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's publicised "meditation" in Kanyakumari from May 30 is aimed at circumventing the 48 hour silence period before the last phase of Lok Sabha election and it should intervene to stop it.
A delegation of senior Congress leaders Randeep Surjewala, Abhishek Singhvi and Syed Naseer Hussain submitted a memorandum and urged the EC to ensure that Modi should start his meditation only after the polling concludes on June 1 and if he insists to start on Thursday evening, the poll body should prohibit it being telecast by all forms of media.
The Congress delegation said the media has reported about Modi undertaking a 48 hour meditation at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari. They said it 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, they claimed 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 election law. The party said it also violates Model Code of Conduct and the orders with respect to do's and don'ts during the election period that parties and candidates are required to adhere to.
After the meeting, Singhvi told reporters, "we told the EC that during the silence period of 48 hours, no one should be allowed to campaign, directly or indirectly. We have no objection to whatever any leader may do. Whether they keep a 'Maun Vrat' or anything, it should not be an indirect campaign in the silence period."
"We have complained that Modi has announced that he will sit for 'Maun Vrat' from the May 30 evening when the silence period starts. This is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct. These are the tactics to either keep campaigning or to keep himself in the headlines. We have asked the Election Commission that he should start 'Maun Vrat' in the evening of June 1. But if he insists on beginning this tomorrow, then it should be prohibited from being telecasted by print or audio-visual Media," he added.
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