CPI(M) knocks EC's door as PM asks first time voters to vote for Balakot strike men

The CPI(M) wrote to the Election Commission on Tuesday alleging violation of the poll panel's directive after Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Maharashtra asked first-time voters to dedicate their votes to the brave men who carried out the air strike in Pakistan's Balakot.

In the letter, the party's politburo member Nilotpal Basu urged the poll panel to "strongly initiate" appropriate action to stop the pre-election atmosphere from being vitiated, which is fast degenerating towards polarisation.

"With deep anguish we are drawing your attention to the latest violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by the Prime Minister, Narendra Modi. He is also violating the specific direction of the Election Commission to refrain from invoking the armed forces for seeking votes," Basu wrote.

Addressing an election rally in Maharashtra's Latur, Modi said, "I want to tell the first time voters, can you dedicate your first vote to the the brave men who carried out the airstrike in Pakistan's Balakot?
"Can your first vote be dedicated to the brave martyrs of the Pulwama (terror attack)?"