EC clean chit to PM on Latur speech

The Election Commission Wednesday said Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech in Latur last month in which he had urged first time voters to dedicate their vote in the name of the Balakot air strike heroes and the soldiers killed in the Pulwama attack is not violative of its instructions on invoking armed forces in poll campaigns.

"The matter has been examined in detail in accordance with the extant advisories, provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and after examination of complete transcript of speech of 11 pages as per the certified copy sent by the Returning Officer, 40 Osmanabad parliamentary constituency. Commission is of the considered view that in this matter no such violation of the extant advisories/provisions is attracted," the EC said.

Addressing a rally in Ausa in Maharashtra's Latur on April 9, Modi said, "Can your first vote be dedicated to those who carried out the air strike."