The Trinamool Congress on Tuesday wrote to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar to lodge a complaint of model code of conduct (MCC) violations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP, adding that its previous complaints to the poll panel had elicited neither any reply nor action.
The ruling party in West Bengal, which raised the prime minister’s comments about the Citizenship Amendment Act, Uniform Civil Code and “vote jihad”, sought to caution the Election Commission about possible erosion of the credibility of the electoral process as well as the public trust in the commission.
In the letter, the party wrote, “I am writing to bring to your attention a matter of utmost concern regarding the flagrant violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) during the ongoing electoral process…. We have written on three occasions of such violations, where we have reported directly about one to you and others to the Chief Electoral Officer, West Bengal. However, no reply or resolution with respect to such complaints have been received by us. No visible action has also been taken on the same.”
The party continued, “Since many of these breaches of the MCC have been committed by Mr. Narendra Modi and the ruling party at the Centre, BJP, the Election Commission has refused to act strongly on the basis of such complaints. In fact many are compelled to conclude that the MCC has been turned into the Modi Code of Conduct!”
The party pointed out that it had written a complaint letter dated March 21, 2024, to the chief election commissioner, where it complained against Modi for “deliberately and illegally” appealing for votes along religious lines and thereby relying on “corrupt practices” and flouting provisions of the poll code and the Representation of the People Act 1959 (RPA).
“By way of a letter dated 4 May 2024, to the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO), West Bengal, another complaint had been lodged by us against the BJP for publishing false, unverified, malicious allegations and stoking communal disharmony to appeal for votes on religious grounds, thereby violating the MCC and engaging in ‘corrupt practices’ in violation of the provisions of RPA,” it said.
Additionally, the TMC alleged that PM Modi recently violated the poll code by accusing the Congress of being anti-Hindu and engaging in “loot, appeasement and dynasty politics”. “He had further said that those who are opposing the Citizenship Amendment Act, Uniform Civil Code and “advocating for vote jihad” would be defeated in the upcoming Lok Sabha polls. He then claimed that “Congress wants to make Hindus second-class citizens in their own country, thereby deliberately and illegally appealing for votes along religious lines and relying on ‘corrupt practices’ and flouting the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct,” the party wrote.
“In light of the above-mentioned instances, we sincerely urge you to take immediate and decisive action against these blatant violations… Hence, you are earnestly requested to put a stop to such blatant violation of the MCC by the BJP and its leaders under the aegis of Mr. Modi. Failure to address these concerns would not only undermine the credibility of the electoral process but also erode public trust in the ECI and ultimately violate the basic structure of the Constitution,” the party added.