EC gives clean chit to PM in sixth case

The Election Commission has given clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the sixth case of an alleged violation of its advisories and the Model Code of Conduct.

The poll-panel concluded that Prime Minister's speech at an election rally Patan in Gujarat on April 21 had not violated its advisories or the Model Code of Conduct.

The opposition Congress had alleged that Prime Minister had violated the EC advisories and the Model Code of Conduct while speaking at the rally in support of the candidates of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party. Prime Minister had said that India had kept Pakistan on toes till Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman of the Indian Air Force had not been released and repatriated.

Wing Commander Varthaman had been detained by Pakistan Army as he had to eject and land in territory under control of Pakistan after his MiG 21 Bison aircraft was hit during a dogfight with an aircraft of the Air Force of the neighbouring country on February 27.

He had been released on March 1.

The EC had on March 9 and 19 issued two advisories asking the politicians not to display pictures of defence personnel or refer to their activities to seek votes during electioneering.

With its latest decisions, the EC this week cleared Prime Minister in altogether six cases of alleged violation of the poll-code as well as the advisories it had issued asking the candidates and the political parties to refrain from displaying pictures of defence personnel and referring to the activities of the armed forces while seeking votes in the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.

The EC on Friday also gave clean chits to the president of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), Amit Shah, in two cases.

The Supreme Court on Thursday set May 6 as the deadline for the poll-panel to decide on all the cases of an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by Prime Minister and the BJP president.