PM Modi’s national address on April 18 has come under scrutiny, with over 700 citizens, including former civil servants, academics, activists and journalists, writing to the Election Commission alleging it violated the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and seeking an inquiry and remedial action.
The prime minister had said the Congress, DMK, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party had committed “bhrun hatya” (foeticide) of the government’s attempt to implement women’s reservation by defeating the constitutional amendment bills.
The address, broadcast on official platforms such as Doordarshan, Sansad TV and All India Radio, amounted to "electioneering and partisan propaganda" during the MCC period, the signatories said in a complaint dated April 20 addressed to the Chief Election Commissioner.
Citing provisions of the MCC, the complainants said ministers are barred from combining official functions with electioneering and from using official machinery for partisan purposes.
The use of government-funded media for such messaging gave the ruling party an "undue advantage" and undermined the level playing field essential for free and fair elections.
The letter urged the poll panel to take cognisance of the issue, examine the content and manner of the address and initiate appropriate action. It also called for equal airtime on public broadcasters for other political parties if prior permission had been granted for the telecast.
Among the signatories are former Delhi Lieutenant Governor Najeeb Jung, political economist Parakala Prabhakar, activist Yogendra Yadav, economist Jayati Ghosh, musician-author T M Krishna, former Union secretary E A S Sarma, activist Harsh Mander, journalist Paranjoy Guha Thakurta, academic Zoya Hasan and former ambassador Madhu Bhaduri.
Others include transparency activist Anjali Bhardwaj, former civil servants Ashish Joshi, Amitabha Pande, and Avay Shukla, journalists John Dayal and Vidya Subrahmaniam and CPI leader Annie Raja along with several academics, lawyers and social activists.
The signatories said the Commission should act swiftly to "uphold the sanctity of the electoral process" under its constitutional mandate.