Yechury seeks action against PM Modi for violating Model Code of Conduct

CPM leader Sitaram Yechury on Sunday sought action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly violating the Modal Code of Conduct (MCC) by seeking votes by using armed forces and influencing voters during the silent period by giving out 'operational details' of Balakot strike conducted by the Indian Air Force (IAF) in Pakistan.

"Modi gave out operational details of a sensitive military mission, with a purpose to influence the voters during the silent period of the campaign needs to be recorded and acted upon by the Election Commission," Yechury wrote in a letter to the Election Commission of India (ECI).

"His (Modi) behaviour and statements are in clear and deliberate violation of the guidelines, which were reissued and reiterated by EC before the first round of polling, which made it clear that the armed forces which belong to all of India, cannot be a subject for hyperbolic and false claims by any party for garnering votes," he added in the letter.

Yechury's was referring to an interview of Prime Minister Modi, aired on May 12. During the interview, he said that he approved the cross-border mission of the Indian Air Force to strike deep in Pakistan's Khyber Pakhtunkhwa despite bad weather and against professional expert advise because the clouds would hide Indian fighter jets from Pakistani radars. He added that he used his "raw wisdom" to dispel the doubts of defence experts who planned the mission.

During the silence period, which begins 48 hours before the voting and ends after polling concludes, no active campaigning by the candidates or political parties is allowed. Silence period came into effect on May 9 as 59 seats in seven states were going to polls on May 12.

Yechuery, while referring to the recent decisions by the Election Commission over complaints filed against the Prime Minister, said Modi is being treated "outside the purview" of the Code of Conduct and guidelines.

"The Commission's recent decisions on BJP leader and outgoing Prime Minister Narendra Modi for such violations are widely perceived as though he is being treated to be outside the purview of the Model Code of Conduct and guidelines. It thus becomes our bounden duty to register our protest against further brazen violations," the letter reads.

He also alleged that PM Modi was taking all the credit of the work done by the Army.

"Modi using the armed forces to seek votes and mocking the Election Commission comes, this time from an election rally in Kushinagar on 12 May 2019. Shri Modi is reported to have said, 'Today terrorists were killed by our Army in Kashmir.' Note: He claims that he killed the terrorists, not our armed forces," it added.

On May 7, EC gave clean chit to PM Modi for his 'Bhrashtachari No 1' remark against former Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi.

Earlier also, the Commission had given a clean chit to Prime Minister Modi over his Pulwama remark in Chitradurga, Karnataka, on April 9, where he reportedly asked voters to vote for the heroes of the Balakot air strike.