
The Election Commission of India on Tuesday said that Prime Minister Narendra Modi's poll speech in Wardha in which he criticised Congress chief Rahul Gandhi for playing appeasement politics over his candidature from Wayanad does not violate the Model Code of Conduct.
"In a matter related to a complaint concerning an alleged violation of Model Code of Conduct in a speech by PM Narendra Modi in Wardha, Maharashtra on 01.04.2019, Commission is of the considered view that in this matter no such violation has been noticed," the poll panel said.
The EC said it had examined the matter in detail in accordance with the extant guidelines of the MCC and the report of the Chief Electoral Officer, Maharashtra."Accordingly, Commission is of the considered view that in this matter no such violation has been noticed," the apex poll body's order said.
The Congress on April 5 moved the EC against Modi's speech alleging that the comments were "hateful and divisive."
In the rally in Wardha, Modi had taken a veiled jibe at Congress president Rahul Gandhi for contesting from Wayanad in Kerala, in addition to Amethi in Uttar Pradesh, saying the party was "forced to run away from a majority seat to a minority constituency," while accusing it of "defaming" the Hindu community by coining the term Hindu terror.
"Congress has done the sin of defaming our more than 5,000 years old culture. The peaceful Hindu society which considers the whole world as its family was called a terrorist. That is why they have been forced to run away from a majority seat and go to a minority seat", he had said in his speech.
Modi added, "When Sushil Kumar Shinde was a minister, he had spoken about Hindu terrorism from the land of Maharashtra. However, a few days ago, the court`s decision came which exposed the Congress conspiracy in front of the country. Congress has insulted Hindus."
(With inputs from ANI)