Congress said the PM is a serial offender who has attacked the dignity of the Constitution by violating the principle of secularism which is part of the basic structure, adding that “this is not a candidate who will be silenced by a simple censure”.
An AICC delegation of Abhishek Singhvi, Gurdeep Sappal and Supriya Shrinate, which met the poll watchdog for detailed discussions, said “not just the PM, but the Election Commission is on trial”, adding that EC’s past “inaction” has emboldened BJP and Modi to commit repeat offences.
As part of the offensive to counter the PM’s speech, party chief Mallikarjun Kharge has sought time from Modi to “educate” him about the Congress manifesto. AICC general secretary KC Venugopal said the PM is rattled by the response to Congress’s ‘nyay’ promises, which has forced him to “spread lies and Hindu-Muslim narratives to hide his monumental failure as the PM”.
The Congress response came a day after a provocative speech by Modi in Rajasthan, in which he insinuated that Congress would redistribute wealth to Muslims, and even women’s ‘mangalsutra’ was not safe.
Singhvi said naming of a religious group and blaming it for the deprivation of the majority while using the Hindu imagery of ‘mangalsutra’ is “aimed at creating enmity between groups, far worse than any ever made by a sitting PM in the history of India, which cannot go unpunished”.
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Stating that Modi’s speech violates Section 123(2), 123 (3A), 123 (4) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, besides other provisions of IPC, the petition said, “The only available remedy… is the disqualification of the candidates who try to create a divide between different classes of citizens. We hope that the Commission treats this situation with the gravity it deserves.” It warned the EC that inaction would tarnish its legacy.
As it took the battle to the top, filing 16 petitions with the EC, accusing BJP of using religion, the Ayodhya issue and armed forces to seek votes, changing the colour of Doordarshan’s logo to saffron, and a media channel’s provocative programmes, Congress said Modi’s “desperate utterances” are a result of the ominous feedback BJP has received about the ground situation and the first phase of voting.
Kharge rubbished Modi’s claims including his bid to caricature the party manifesto as having the imprint of “Muslim League”. He asked, “Is giving Rs 1 lakh annually to every woman a programme of Muslim League? Is giving jobs and training to the youth with Rs 1 lakh per year stipend a programme of Muslim League? We fill the SC/ST/OBC backlog, is it Muslim League? We have given 25 guarantees for the poor, women, youth, Dalits etc.”
The Congress petition lamented that the party has filed numerous complaints against the PM and BJP, but the EC has not even issued a showcause notice to them. “The Commission must ask itself if the same leeway would be granted to any other candidate if he so arrogantly and repeatedly defied the laws of our country,” it asked.