Unbecoming of the Prime Minister

Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Banswara, Rajasthan, on Sunday was most inappropriate and has been widely seen as communal and divisive. The Election Commission of India (ECI) should enforce the model code of conduct and take action on it. It has taken action against others for far less. The Prime Minister said the Congress would collect all the country’s wealth and give it all to Muslims. He said: “That means, they will give it all to ‘those who have more children’ and ‘infiltrators’. These are bad remarks for anyone to make. How can a Prime Minister make remarks like “they (Congress) won’t even spare your mangal sutra!” He repeated the remarks on Monday in Aligarh. The world is watching this election. The Prime Minister often makes claims of having improved India’s standing in the world and of India being the “mother of democracy”.  Such remarks could only lower the country’s standing. 

The Prime Minister’s insinuations about the Congress are based on a deliberate misinterpretation by the BJP of a statement former Prime Minister Manmohan Singh made in 2006 and of the Congress manifesto for this election. Singh had spoken of the need for judicious use of the nation’s resources at a National Development Council meeting in December 2006. The BJP and Modi have claimed that Singh had said that “Muslims have the first claim on resources”. In reality, Singh’s reference to the “first claim on resources” referred to all the “priority areas” that he had outlined in a paragraph of that speech, including programmes for the upliftment of SC, ST, OBC, women and children and minorities…” 

Modi also said: “Congress’ manifesto says they will take stock of the gold mothers and daughters have, and will distribute that wealth. Manmohan Singh’s government had said Muslims have the first right to wealth. This Urban Naxal thinking will not spare even the mangalsutras of my mothers and sisters…” The Congress manifesto says no such thing. The Prime Minister has sought to misinterpret Congress’ promises on conducting a socio-economic survey and caste census as a step to reduce inequality. This is wrong and unacceptable.  

The Election Commission should take note of the Prime Minister’s statements. The Model Code of Conduct clearly says: “No party or candidate shall involve in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic…There shall be no appeal to caste or communal feelings for securing votes.” The Prime Minister’s speech also clearly constitutes a “corrupt practice” and “electoral offence” under Sections 123 and 125 of the Representation of People Act, 1951. The Election Commission has failed to take action against Modi even when there were convincing cases of violation of the code of conduct in the past. This time, it should act to uphold the Constitution and demonstrate the independence of constitutional institutions. The world is watching, and it should not come to the conclusion that this is an unfair election taking place in the world’s largest democracy.