BHOPAL: The opposition Congress demanded on Sunday that Prime Minister Narendra Modi be booked for violating the electoral model code of conduct, by making false statements about Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee president Kamal Nath at a poll rally in Chhindwara district on Sunday.
A state Congress delegation led by party's state unit media convener Narendra Singh Saluja met Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of MP, VL Kantha Rao in Bhopal in the evening and submitted a complaint alleging that the PM, while addressing an election rally in Chhindwara earlier in the day made false statements about a video in which the state Congress chief Kamal Nath says that he is ready to give party tickets to goons, criminals, fraudsters and corrupt persons, if they are worthy of winning polls.
"There is no such video in which the MP Congress chief is seen saying that the party will give ticket even to goons, criminal, cheater or corrupt person, if that person is winnable. A few days back, a doctored video was tweeted by BJP leaders, including the CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan. The Congress party has already complained to the CEO MP as well as the state police cyber cell in the matter on November 4 and investigations are underway," said Saluja.
"As the PM of the country, Narendra Modi should have never made such false statements. We demand that a case of model code of conduct violation be lodged against the PM for making false statements at the poll rally," said Saluja.
Earlier in the day, PM Modi while addressing the poll rally in Chhindwara (the Lok Sabha constituency of nine-time MP Kamal Nath) asked the crowd whether they have seen the video in which the state Congress chief is seen saying that he's ready to give tickets even to goons, criminals, fraudsters and tainted persons, if they are winnable.
"Will you allow the state to be pushed into hands of such leaders," Modi had questioned the crowd.
On November 3, a slew of BJP leaders, including CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan and union minister Giriraj Singh tweeted a video in which Kamal Nath was seen endorsing fielding even those candidates who had criminal records, provided they were winnable.
The Congress had subsequently complained the matter to the Election Commission and state police, alleging that the video was doctored to defame Kamal Nath and the party. The video has been sent for forensic examination subsequently by the authorities.