The Delhi High Court recently delayed a hearing scheduled for Friday on a plea seeking the disqualification of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from contesting elections for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during a campaign event in Uttar Pradesh’s Pilibhit earlier this month.
The court will hear the plea seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for six years for allegedly seeking votes for the BJP in the name of Hindu, Sikh deities and place of worship on April 29. The plea was moved by lawyer Anand S Jondhale. Notably, Justice Sachin Datta, who had to hear the matter, was not holding court today as he was sitting in the UAPA tribunal.
The petitioner sought a direction from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to disqualify the Prime Minister from elections for six years under Representation of Peoples Act. He also sought direction to restrain him from seeking votes in the name of religious deities and places of worship.
The petitioner was aggrieved by PM Modi’s speech delivered on April 09 in Uttar Pradesh. The plea contended that the Prime Minister not only sought votes in the name of Hindu and Sikh deities and their places of worship, but also made comments against opposite political parties as favoring Muslims.
His complaint to the ECI said that PM Modi said that he has constructed the Ram Temple, developed Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and brought back the copies of Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan.
The plea also submitted that it is expedient in the interest of fair elections on the part of ECI to take immediate action against the Prime Minister, since the date of voting for the Lok Sabha polls is approaching very fast.
The plea mentioned that the Petitioner further submits that the Prime Minister is on the run of making the same violative speech throughout India while travelling in aircrafts and helicopter of Government of India.
Furthermore, the plea also noted that the speeches of the PM have the potential to create hatred amongst voters on the line of caste and religion. Accordingly, he sought action against the Prime Minister as per the Model Code of Conduct.