Congress Calls For Action Against PM Modi's 'Objectionable' Speech: Urges ECI Intervention

New Delhi: Congress leader and Advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi categorised a recent statement by PM Narendra Modi in the Rajasthan rally as 'seriously objectionable’ and said that the party, in its petition to the Election Commission of India (ECI), has urged to take 'appropriate action' against the Prime Minister 'irrespective of the status of the person’.  

Singhvi further informed that he led a Congress delegation involving around 17 complaints to the ECI. While talking to the media after meeting with the Election Commission, he said that of those complaints, the most crucial one addressed comment made by PM Modi.  

“We respect the office he holds. He is as much our Prime Minister as he is yours, and he is the BJP's. Unfortunately, the statement we have quoted is seriously, ridiculously objectionable,” Singhvi added. Requesting PM Modi to retract the statement and provide clarification, he said, “We have asked the Election Commission to state that this is the position in law; we will do in his respect whatever we do with others."  

The senior Congress leader stated that they wouldn't directly quote the Prime Minister's remarks but highlighted that he had mentioned a specific community and discussed religion and communal issues openly. He pointed out that the Prime Minister had associated these discussions with the majority community being deprived of resources and the minority community monopolizing them, even using Hindu symbols like the Mangalsutra.   

According to Singhvi, this violates Section 123, which prohibits the encouragement of communal sentiments. He described the speech as a significant infringement on the fundamental structure of the Constitution and appealed to the Election Commission for appropriate action, reported ANI.  

The Singhvi-led Congress delegation met with the ECI on Monday. In a post on X, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said, "Today a Indian National Congress delegation comprising Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Gurdeep Sappal, and Supriya Shrinate met with the Election Commission of India at 4 PM and put forward 16 complaints against the BJP and other actors for violations of The Representation of the People Act, 1951, various judgements of the Supreme Court, and the ECI's Model Code of Conduct. We hope that immediate action will be taken on these very legitimate complaints."  

Today an @INCIndia delegation comprising of Dr. Abhishek Manu Singhvi, Shri Gurdeep Sappal, and Shrimati Supriya Shrinate met with the Election Commission of India at 4PM and put forward 16 complaints against the BJP and other actors for violations of The Representation of the… pic.twitter.com/AbAf0NVon8 — Jairam Ramesh (@Jairam_Ramesh) April 22, 2024

Launching a scathing attack on the Congress party, On April 21, Prime Minister Modi accused the party of intending to seize people's gold and property and distribute it among those with larger families. The PM was speaking at a public rally in Banswara, Rajasthan. He claimed that if the Congress assumed power, it would redistribute wealth to Muslims, citing former PM Manmohan Singh's statement about the minority community's entitlement to the nation's resources. Modi further asserted that the Congress aimed to allocate the hard-earned money and assets of citizens to "infiltrators" and families with more children. Referring to their ideology as ‘Urban Naxal’, he alleged that the party wouldn't even spare traditional symbols like the Mangalsutra.