Cong may take legal route; EC sources say complaint under consideration
GUWAHATI: As the political storm over Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks at a rally in Rajasthan on “redistribution of wealth’’ refuses to settle down, the Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said on Tuesday that the party is exploring legal remedies as the Election Commission is not acting on the complaint against PM Modi.
However, EC sources have said that the Commission has received a complaint against the Prime Minister’s controversial ‘infiltrators’ remark and the matter is under consideration.
Shrinate said institutions like the EC need to have the complete faith of the people and they should work to restore that trust if it is shaken.
“Prime Minister Narendra Modi made hate speeches in Rajasthan. My colleagues met the EC on Monday and we have pressed charges against him. As they are not acting upon our complaint, we are looking at legal remedies,” she told mediapersons.
The Congress on Monday moved the EC seeking “appropriate action” against Modi for his ‘redistribution of wealth’ remarks at a poll rally in Rajasthan, alleging that the comments were “divisive”, “malicious” and targeted a particular religious community.
On Sunday, the Prime Minister triggered a political row by claiming that the Congress manifesto promised “redistribution” of wealth after conducting a survey.
“We hope that it will be a free and fair election. But we see little evidence of that,” Shrinate said, asserting that the less said about the EC’s actions against the BJP, the better.
On the proper functioning of EVMs, Shrinate said: “Even if one person says his or her vote didn’t go where it was intended, it is the responsibility of institutions like the EC to restore people’s faith.”
She pointed out that Opposition parties have been pressing for 100 per cent VVPAT counting, but the EC has not accepted it.
Meanwhile, on Tuesday, the Congress lodged a grievance with the Election Commission, accusing the BJP of creating unrest and confusion among the working professionals and middle class. This was in response to misrepresentations of Rahul Gandhi’s statements on societal equitable growth.
Praveen Chakravarty, leader of the All India Professionals’ Congress, stated that the BJP is intentionally causing panic and confusion through false information. He highlighted that during the manifesto release in Hyderabad on April 6, 2024, Rahul Gandhi emphasised the party’s dedication to economic and social fairness for a more balanced societal development.
Chakravarty denounced the distortion of this message, labelling it as “fake news” and demanded the BJP be held accountable for disseminating false claims about the Congress’ manifesto, including allegations of wealth redistribution upon gaining power.
Furthermore, Chakravarty reported an individual to the EC who circulated a WhatsApp message among professionals claiming the Congress’ manifesto vowed to “seize two-thirds of personal assets for redistribution to the impoverished under the Jawaharlal Nehru National Wealth Redistribution Scheme.”
He also cited an article from a prominent newspaper as the source of such “misinformation,” declaring these assertions as completely untrue and asserting that the Congress’ manifesto contains no such pledge.
Chakravarty called these rumours a deliberate fabrication intended to incite professional classes against the Congress and manipulate their voting choices.
He urged the Election Commission to take immediate action to halt the spread of these harmful rumours and announced plans to file a complaint with the Delhi Police under relevant sections of the Criminal Procedure Code, as well as notifying Meta India’s authorities.
