SC to hear poll affidavit complaint against Modi

The Supreme Court has been moved by an Ahmedabad resident alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi did not disclose his marital status in the affidavit filed with his nomination papers in the 2012 Gujarat assembly elections.

The petitioner, Nishant Deshdipak Varma, has contended that the non-disclosure of his matrimonial status during 2012 elections when he contested from Maninagar constituency in Ahmedabad is an offence under the Representation of People Act and Rules.

The petition which is likely to come up for hearing before the apex court on October 16 has challenged the Gujarat High Court's July 3 judgment, rejecting his plea on the grounds of delay in filing the complaint.

Faulting the high court order, Verma has contended that there was no delay because he came to know about the marital status of Prime Minister Modi only in April 2014 when in his nomination papers, both from Vadodara and Varnasi, he disclosed the name of Jashodaben as his wife.

He said Modi was compelled to reveal the name of his wife only because of the Supreme Court's 2013 ruling that "filing of affidavit with blank particulars will render the affidavit nugatory".

The petitioner has pointed out that Modi had concealed his matrimonial status and provided false information which is an offence under the RP Act.