Plea in SC against PM for alleged poll code violation

An Ahmedabad resident has filed a plea in the Supreme Court, seeking action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for allegedly violating the poll code during 2014 Lok Sabha elections by posting his selfie with Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) symbol 'lotus' on social media immediately after casting his vote.

The special leave petition, filed by Nishant Varma against the Gujarat high court order, which had dismissed his plea against Modi, said no investigation was made by the BJP government in Gujarat into the FIRs lodged against the then Chief Minister in the matter on the direction of the Election Commission. Varma contended that the High Court was "erroneous" and that the Gujarat Police had acted in a mala fide manner to protect Modi by filing a closure report in the case.

"Investigation agency involved in the present case has acted in a mala fide manner in order to protect the Respondent (Modi) from lawful prosecution for having committed various offences under the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951 and the Indian Penal Code," he said in his plea.