New Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a petition that called for immediate action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other politicians for allegedly making communally divisive speeches during the ongoing Lok Sabha elections.
The petition accused them of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
Justice Sachin Datta ruled that the petition was without merit, stating, “This court finds no merit in the petition. The petition is accordingly dismissed.”
The court cited previous observations that assumptions made by the petitioner were unjustified.
The plea had demanded that the Election Commission of India (ECI) respond with urgency, including the registration of FIRs against those accused of delivering hate speeches.
It specifically referred to speeches by the Prime Minister in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, X posts by BJP Chief J.P. Nadda, and remarks made by Union Minister Anurag Thakur in Himachal Pradesh on April 27.
Representing the petitioners, Advocate Nizam Pasha argued that the ECI exhibited inconsistency in its actions against different politicians, suggesting it had previously barred leaders from other political parties but not the Prime Minister.
On behalf of the ECI, Advocate Suruchi Suri said that the Commission had issued an advisory to all political parties on March 1, prior to announcing the elections, and was awaiting a response from the concerned party by May 15 before proceeding further.
Justice Datta stressed the court’s limited role in influencing the ECI’s ongoing investigations, noting, “We cannot micromanage the ECI as to how they want to deal with… They have not yet concluded the proceedings. They are in the middle of it.”
The petitioners contended that the ECI’s failure to act was a violation of its constitutional duty and compromised the integrity of the election process.
The ECI is expected to respond to the allegations by May 15.
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