New Delhi: The Congress on Monday petitioned the EC for urgently censuring Prime Minister Modi for his “obscene and derogatory” remarks against late Prime Minister Rajiv Gandhi in his public rally in Uttar Pradesh. In a memorandum submitted to the poll body, the Congress delegation took serious objection to Modi telling Rahul Gandhi that “Your father may have been declared Mr Clean by his courtiers, but he died as “Bhrashtachari No 1.” The delegation pointed out that Delhi High Court had dismissed the charges against late Rajiv Gandhi in February 2004. Moreover, a much-hyped appeal filed by the BJP government in 2018 was also dismissed by the Supreme Court.
“Despite the court’s orders, the Prime Minister, in a vile and malicious attempt to malign the former Prime Minister’s image, has gone this far ahead with his false accusations only to further his election propaganda. “Usage of such obscene/ derogatory language by the Prime Minister is not only defamatory but also violates the directions of the Model Code of Conduct that must be strictly observed and followed.” The EC bars criticism of other parties or their leaders on basis of unverified allegations.
Hitting back at the Congress for its complain to the Election Commission, Union minister Arun Jaitley tweeted: “The Congress and its President can call an honest Prime Minister ‘Chor’. No Model Code of Conduct is preventing that. If the PM calls the Congress legacy as ‘Corrupt No. 1’ the Congress complains that the Model Code of Conduct is violated. Are there two Model Codes of Conduct?”
