LS polls: CPM alleges MCC violations by BJP, writes to EC

The Communist Party of India (Marxist) on Tuesday shot off a letter to the Election Commission (EC) over what it called certain "brazen" violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), barely about a week before the 17th Lok Sabha election commences.

Nilotpal Basu, a member of the Polit Bureau of the CPI-M, addressed the letter to Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora. He listed a couple of complaints over the BJP's alleged violations of the MCC, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi's address to the nation last month on the successful launch of anti-satellite test (A-SAT) missile.

"You would kindly recall that we had pointed out to you the impropriety of the public broadcast by the Prime Minister on the destruction of a defunct satellite in low orbit with missile as a demonstration of our technology capability. The fundamental question was whether the Prime Minister, who is also a candidate of the BJP, can use the office and the prerogatives to try and influence for the sake of electoral benefit? However, the Commission chose to restrict the question to the role of the DD and gave the national broadcaster a clean chit," Basu wrote in the letter.

"Now, our attention has been drawn to a tweet by Doordarshan News @DDNewsLive for urging people to watch live the PM's addresses for his #MainBhiChowkidar programme through video conferencing. The print-out of the tweet is appended herewith," he said.

Basu accused the BJP of making an "unabashed attempt" to use the situation post-air raid at a JeM camp in Balakot by utilising the "exploits" of the armed forces for electoral purposes.

"The Commission had taken note and passed an order to categorically forbid such use of the armed forces in the election campaign," Basu said in the letter.

Basu said that Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath recent comments on referring the Indian Army as "Modi ji Ki Sena" (Modi's Army) was a "clear violation" of the MCC.

"Similarly, there is another blatant attempt by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi himself to rouse communal passions by implicitly referring to the outcome in an NIA Court, by equating the accused to the entire Hindu community in an election meeting in Wardha," he further stated.

Urging the EC to take up the matter, Basu said, "In our opinion, these are gross violations of the MCC and has the potential of completely vitiating the social atmosphere in the run-up to the elections. We urge you to immediately take appropriate measures for maintaining the sanctity of MCC and the holding of a free and fair election."

The Lok Sabha polls with 543 parliamentary seats in the fray are scheduled to be conducted in seven phases from April 11 to May 19. Counting of votes will take place on May 23.