‘Political parties will have to take primary responsibility for the conduct of their candidates, star campaigners in particular. Campaign speeches by those holding high positions are of more serious consequences,’ read EC’s Thursday statement. This was in response to two complaints. One, against Narendra Modi for making a statement at a rally in Rajasthan that if Congress forms the next central government, it would distribute India’s resources to ‘infiltrators’ and ‘those who have more children’ – what has been widely interpreted as members of the Muslim community. Two, a more general accusation against Rahul Gandhi for asserting that poverty in India has risen, and for reportedly perpetuating divisions between north and south India in speeches. By referring to the need of parties needing to control their ‘star campaigners’ and sharing the allegations with party presidents J P Nadda and Mallikarjun Kharge as a first step in its ‘action taken’ process, EC has done well to be preventive as well as remedial.
Invoking Section 77 of the Representation of the People Act and holding the two party presidents responsible, the commission has sought a response from the accused PM and Congress MP by 11 am on April 29. This shows no waffling on the part of the statutory body whose job is to ensure that the world’s biggest elections are conducted freely and fairly, and without underhand strategies of the rhetorical or procedural kind no matter who makes them.
