NEW DELHI: The Election Commission has started examining the allegation of Bihar's JD(U)-RJD-Congress alliance that Prime Minister Narendra Modi violated the model code in place for Bihar elections by making announcements in his 'Mann Ki Baat' broadcast which could influence voters.
Sources in the Commission said that as part of of the process, the Information and Broadcasting Ministry could be asked to provide the poll watchdog with a recording of the October 25 programme and its verbatim transcript. "This is a routine procedure followed in cases of complaints or allegations," an official said.
In a complaint submitted to EC, JD(U) spokesperson K C Tyagi said Modi had "violated" the Commission's guidelines by announcing that interviews for non-gazetted Group B, C and D posts will no longer be held from next year and also by talking about gold monetisation schemes. "In complete violations of the model code of conduct and utter defiance of the specific directions of the Commission, he (Modi) made the statements," the complaint, which has also been endorsed by Congress, said.
It also objected to Modi's statement that he was going to London to inaugurate the house where Dalit icon B R Ambedkar had lived as a student. "All these announcements were deliberately made to influence and induce the voters in Bihar election with the sole purpose to seek votes," it said.
Demanding action, the complaint noted that the Commission had in its September 18 direction said that nothing should be said in his radio broadcast which may be construed as inducement to voters or as having any impact on the elections. EC's direction had come after the grand alliance of Nitish Kumar's JD(U), Lalu Prasad's RJD and Congress had demanded a ban on Modi's regular radio broadcast in which he shares his thoughts on a host of issues.