Socio-cultural milieu can't be a casualty to polls: EC to BJP, Cong prez

The Election Commission (EC) on Wednesday told the national presidents of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Opposition Congress that the country's socio-cultural milieu cannot be a casualty to elections. The EC’s censures have come nearly a month after its initial notices to the party chiefs, and with campaigning for the penultimate phase of the seven-phase elections concluding on Thursday evening. The EC said that utterances of their star campaigners followed patterns and created narratives that could be damaging beyond the duration of the MCC.

The EC directed BJP President JP Nadda to inform its star campaigners to not make divisive speeches and refrain from any campaigning methods or utterances along religious or communal lines. "The Commission expects BJP, as the ruling party at the Centre, to fully align the campaign methods to the practical aspects of the composite and sensitive fabric of India." 

It instructed Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge to refrain from alleging that the Constitution may be abolished.

The EC had sought comments from national presidents of the two parties on April 25 for the alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by their respective “star campaigners”.

The EC’s April 25 notice to Nadda was in response to the Opposition’s complaints that Prime Minister Narendra Modi had delivered a divisive speech in Rajasthan’s Banswara. The poll panel’s notice to Kharge, also issued on April 25, was in the context of the BJP’s complaint flagging Rahul Gandhi’s allegations that the Modi government, if it were to come to power, would do away with the Constitution. In a reference to the Agniveer scheme, Gandhi had alleged that the government had created two kinds of soldiers.

In seeking “comments” from the respective party chiefs, and not the leaders who had made those utterances, the EC had departed from its norms. 

The EC asked both Nadda and Kharge to issue formal notes to their star campaigners to correct their discourse, exercise care, and maintain decorum.

Referring to their respective replies to its initial notices, the EC said that "technical loopholes or extreme interpretations of other political party's utterances" cannot discharge the parties and their campaigners from the core responsibility of their own content which ought to be corrective to the ongoing discourse "and not further plummeting the quality of campaign discourse". It termed both Nadda and Kharge’s defence as “not tenable”.

In his reply to the EC’s April 25 notice, Nadda had maintained that the statements of BJP's star campaigners rely on facts to expose the "mal intent" of the Congress to the nation. He had also told the EC that the Congress and the INDIA bloc, in pursuance of vote-bank politics, had begun opposing India as a nation and its identity.

The EC asked Nadda and his party's star campaigners to desist from campaigning on religious and communal lines. It also asked the BJP to stop campaign speeches that may divide society. 

In its order to Congress' Kharge, the EC rejected his defence, too, and asked the party not to politicise defence forces and make potentially divisive statements regarding the socioeconomic composition of the armed forces.

It also asked the Congress to ensure that its star campaigners and candidates do not make statements which give false impression that the Constitution may be abolished or sold.

The EC told both Nadda and Kharge that elections are a process when political parties not only contest to win, but also avail of the opportunity to present themselves in their ideal best for the voting community to experience, emulate, and build hopes on.

"The second part constitutes the more precious heritage of Indian elections and our electoral democracy and this should not be allowed to be weakened by anyone, including your party," it said.

Political parties, the EC said, are in the task of nurturing leaders for the country for present and future. They cannot afford to be lax in any manner in enforcing discipline and conduct among the cadre in the high-stake electoral space, especially with reference to senior members, it said.

While issuing them notices, the EC had invoked provisions in Section 77 of the Representation of the People Act to hold party presidents accountable as the first step to rein in star campaigners.
 

According to the poll panel, it has taken a view that while individual star campaigners would continue to remain responsible for speeches made by them, the Commission will address party chiefs "on a case-to-case basis".

With inputs from PTI 

EC’s directions for star campaigners

 

To BJP President J P Nadda

Do not make divisive speeches 

Refrain from utterances along religious or communal lines

 

To Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge

Refrain from alleging that the Constitution may be abolished

Do not politicise defence forces

 

To both Nadda and Kharge

Utterances of star campaigners follow patterns and create narratives which can be damaging beyond the duration of the MCC

Ask star campaigners to correct their discourse, exercise care and maintain decorum