CPM accuses PM Modi of violating Model Code of Conduct

Prime Minister Narendra Modi has violated the Model Code of Conduct by addressing the nation after the successful testing of A-SAT missile on Wednesday, alleges CPI-M general secretary Sitaram Yechury.

In a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI), Yechury said: "This announcement comes in the midst of the ongoing election campaign where the Prime Minister himself is a candidate. This is clearly a violation of the Model Code of Conduct."

Yechury further sought to know whether the ECI was informed of such an address to the nation and if the EC considered and permitted such an address to the nation by Prime Minister Modi.

"I am sure the entire country would like to know the special reasons why the EC permitted the achievements of the Indian scientists to be politically coloured during the course of General Elections," Yechury stated in the letter.

Defence Research and Development Organisation (DRDO) and Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) on Wednesday morning successfully tested India's first anti-satellite weapon--A-SAT--from Balasore in Odisha.

Anti-satellite weapons or A-SAT are space weapons designed to incapacitate or destroy satellites for strategic military purposes. Although no A-SAT system has yet been utilised in warfare, a few nations have shot down their own (defunct) satellites to demonstrate their A-SAT capabilities in a show of force. Before India successfully tested A-SAT weapon, US, Russia, and China have demonstrated this capability successfully

Later talking to ANI, Yechury said: "We have Agni missile system. We have gone in the outer space. Now when the election is nearing, Prime Minister Modi is politicising the achievements of our scientist, engineers. I have asked the EC that when the election is going to take place and PM Modi is part of the election, then there should be a Moral Code of Conduct. This is also a violation of the Moral Code of Conduct.