Election Commission issues notice to Arjun Modhwadia for his objectionable statements against Narendra Modi

Ahmedabad, 22 November 2012

The Election Commission of India has found prima facie case of violation of General Conduct of Model Code of Conduct in Gujarat Congress President Arjun Modhwadia’s remarks against Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi.

The Commission has issued a show cause notice to Arjun Modhwdia and asked him to reply latest by 5.00 pm on 24th November 2012, failing which appropriate actions will be taken against him without any further reference to him.

As per the draft of the notice, Modhwadia has violated the Code of Conduct rule that prohibits personal attacks on the leaders of rival political parties, criticism of all aspects of their private life.

The exact rule is this: Criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work. Parties and candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders of workers of other parties. Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided.”

The notice to Modhwadia has been issued after a complaint from Shri Balkrishna Shukla, General Secretary of Gujarat BJP and Lok Sabha MP in reference to Modhwadia’s speech at public meeting held at Vadodara on 2-11-2012.

As per the CD transcript of that speech, the Election Commission has found following portions objectionable:

“Every morning he asks Dr. Manmohan Singh, come and fight elections against me …. Just as a monkey climbs tree and sitting up on that tree asks the lion standing down on the ground to come up, come up …… Arrey, you will have to come down one day ………..he will not come up …….. he is a lion ……. king of the jungle.”

“Every day he repeats Dr. Manmohan Singh ….. Manmohan Singh………… Manubhai is sitting here …….Manubhai, the fact is that he is infected with rabies…. Manubhai, he has bitten by rabid dog…”

“However Chief Minister, within your life what about your married life? Gujarat knows it. Why don’t you disclose it one day? And why it didn’t work out after marrying …”