The Congress party has formally filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India against Prime Minister Narendra Modi regarding his contentious remarks concerning the party’s manifesto, alleging it bears similarities to the Muslim League’s ideology.
A delegation consisting of former union minister Salman Khurshid, along with senior leaders Mukul Wasnik, Pawan Khera, and Gurdeep Sappal, met with officials of the commission to register their grievance.
After the meeting, the leaders briefed reporters, expressing their insistence that the Election Commission take a grave view of the Prime Minister’s comments targeting the Congress party’s manifesto.
The party also drew attention to the Prime Minister’s posters in Delhi and the alleged misuse of his images alongside defence personnel. They highlighted the Election Commission’s previous advisory against such practices during elections.
Moreover, the Congress delegation raised concerns regarding restrictions on free speech, citing instances of YouTube channels and social media handles being banned at the government’s behest. They emphasized that the authority to impose such bans during elections should rest solely with the Election Commission, not the government.
The delegation reported that the Election Commission concurred with the party’s viewpoint, asserting that there should be no limitations on free speech during the electoral process.
Jairam Ramesh, the party’s general secretary in charge of communications, underscored the importance of the Election Commission maintaining impartiality by ensuring a fair playing field. He expressed optimism that the Election Commission would fulfil its constitutional duty.