EC clean chit to PM Modi in two more cases: Sources

PTI, May 7, 2019, 9:25 AM IST

New Delhi: The Election Commission has given clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in two more cases, sources aware of the development said on Monday.

The Congress had alleged that he held a “roadshow” in Ahmedabad on April 23 and the sources said the commission has concluded that Modi did not violate the model code and the election law.

On the same day, he had made a similar appeal in Ausa in Latur district of Maharashtra. The EC had given a clean chit to him in that case as well, but one of the election commissioners had given a dissenting view in the matter.

Though the commission has so far not made the two decisions public, with these decisions, Modi has been given a clean chit in eight matters. The poll authorities in Gujarat are learnt to have maintained that prima facie no violation was found.

The Congress had moved the EC alleging that Modi took out a “roadshow” after casting his vote and made political remarks in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. After casting his vote in Ahmedabad, Modi walked some distance from the polling booth and interacted briefly with media persons.

Earlier, the EC had cleared six speeches of Modi, two of Shah and one of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi. Gandhi had been issued a show cause notice for his Madhya Pradesh speech in which he had reportedly said that the government has enacted a new law which allows tribals to be shot. On March 19, the EC had issued an advisory asking parties not to invoke armed forces in their political campaign.

The commission has now submitted a report to the Supreme Court of the cases related to Modi and Shah that it has disposed. Alleging delay on EC’s part, the Congress had moved the top court for a remedy. The matter would come up for hearing on Wednesday.