EC Warns BJP and Congress Over MCC Violations by Star Campaigners

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) star campaigners to avoid making communal speeches and urged Congress campaigners to refrain from suggesting that the Constitution might be abolished. This directive follows notices issued almost a month ago to BJP president J P Nadda and Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge regarding alleged Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violations by their respective star campaigners.

The controversy began with the ECI’s April 25 notices to Nadda and Kharge in response to complaints against Prime Minister Narendra Modi, Rahul Gandhi, and Kharge himself. The complaints accused Modi of making inflammatory remarks about the Congress appeasing Muslims and accused Gandhi of claiming that Modi wanted to impose a single language across the country. Both party leaders had defended their campaigners, but the ECI found these defenses untenable and noted that further complaints of similar nature had been received since then.

In its latest orders, the ECI instructed Nadda to ensure that BJP campaigners avoid divisive rhetoric and religious or communal campaigning. Kharge was similarly advised to prevent Congress campaigners from making statements that might falsely imply the abolition of the Constitution or that invoke the socio-economic composition of the Defence forces, referencing concerns raised by Gandhi’s remarks on the Agniveer scheme.

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