New Delhi: The Election Commission has taken cognizance of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks asking first-time voters to dedicate their vote to those who carried out the air strike in Balakot, and has sought a report from poll officials in Maharashtra.
Sources in the poll panel said on Tuesday that the chief electoral officer of Maharashtra has been asked to submit a report at the earliest.
Addressing a rally in Ausa in Mahrashtra's Latur, Modi said, " I want to tell the first-time voters: can your first vote be dedicated to the veer jawans (valiant soldiers) who carried out the air strike in Pakistan? Can your first vote be dedicated to the veer shaheed (brave martyrs) of Pulwama (terror attack)?”
The report has been sought in the context of an EC advisory issued last month asking parties to desist from indulging in political propaganda involving actions of the armed forces.
"...parties/candidates are advised that their campaigners/candidates should desist, as part of their election campaigning, from indulging in any political propaganda involving activities of defence forces," the commission had said on March 19.
The CPI-M had earlier written to the EC against Modi, accusing him of violating the model code of conduct during his speech.
"With deep anguish we are drawing your attention to the latest violation of Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is also violating the specific direction of the Election Commission to refrain from invoking the armed forces for seeking votes," CPI-M politburo member Nilotpal Basu said in the letter.
Following Modi's statements, Congress spokesman Kapil Sibal said there should be no politics in the name of our martyrs, but it is happening and the 'sad part' is that the Election Commission is also not doing anything about it.
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