The Election Commission also asked Rahul Gandhi to follow its recent advisory for star campaigners and political leaders in the right earnest during election campaign.
Lok Sabha Elections 2024: The Election Commission has asked Congress scion Rahul Gandhi to be more careful and exercise caution in his public utterances and avoid derogatory remarks like “panauti (bad omen)” and “jaibkatra (pickpocket)” aimed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“After considering all facts in the matter related to certain remarks against Prime Minister as ‘jaibkatra’ (pickpocket) and ‘panauti’ including High Court of Delhi order dated December 21, 2023, and Rahul Gandhi’s reply, the Election Commission of India has advised the Congress leader be more careful and cautious in future,” news agency ANI quoted a source a saying.
Acting on the Delhi High Court’s directive of December last year, the poll panel also asked Gandhi to follow its recent advisory for star campaigners and political leaders in the right earnest during election campaign.
EC advisory asks parties to maintain decorum
Taking note of the various trends and cases of plummeting levels of political campaign discourse in recently-held elections, the EC last week issued an advisory to all political parties to maintain decorum and utmost restraint in public campaigning and raise the level of election campaigning to “issue-based” debate.
In the advisory dated March 1, the poll panel had warned that parties, candidates and star campaigners will face stern action, rather than just ‘moral censure’ for any violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
Repeat MCC violators to face strict action
As per sources, the EC will assess any indirect MCC violations as per advisory as a fair basis to rework the notices to be given in terms of time and content in the forthcoming elections
For the general election to the Lok Sabha and four state Legislative assemblies, all phases and geographical areas of the elections shall be the basis for determining “repeat” offences.
The EC also said that the star campaigners and candidates who have received notices in the past will face stern action for repeated MCC violations.
‘Exercise caution in public utterances’
In November last year, the EC had issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi after the Congress MP used derogatory terms like “panauti” and “pickpocket” against PM Modi.
On December 21, 2023, the Delhi High Court had asked the commission to decide on the notice it had issued to Gandhi for these comments, saying the statement made by the Congress leader during a speech delivered in November 2023 was “not in good taste”.
Disposing off the court directive, the EC has asked Gandhi “to be more careful and cautious in his public utterances in the future”, sources said, according to ANI.
‘Panauti’ row
The poll panel had issued a notice to Rahul Gandhi on November 23, asking the Congress leader to clarify his stand about his speeches during his campaigns for the assembly elections in Rajasthan.
The former Congress president took the “pickpocket” dig at Modi during his poll speech, alleging that the prime minister diverts people’s attention while industrialist Gautam Adani picks their pockets. This is how pickpockets operate, he had alleged.
The court order followed a petition that had also objected to certain other statements by Gandhi referring to the prime minister as “panauti”, a Hindi slang, loosely referring to someone who brings bad luck.
(With inputs from agencies)
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