Prime Minister Narendra Modi appeal to youngsters to “devote” their first vote to the BJP to honour the armed forces that conducted airstrikes in Balakot and the martyrs of Pulwama was not a violation of the election code of conduct, the Election Commission said on Wednesday.
The Election Commission, which was nudged into deciding a litany of alleged poll code violations this week, said the panel had examined the 11-page transcript of the Prime Minister’s speech at Ausa in Maharashtra’s Latur district.
“The commission is of the considered view that in this matter no such violation of the extant advisories/provisions is attracted,” the poll panel said.
In this speech, PM Modi was reported to have urged voters to support the BJP to keep the country safe and ensure faster development. “Can your first vote in your life ensure that the poor get a home? Can your first vote ensure that water reaches the fields of farmers?” he asked.
The Congress had alleged that PM Modi’s speech was a violation of the Election Commission’s advisory that asked political parties from desisting from “indulging in any political propaganda involving activities of defence forces”.
