Samikhsya Bureau
The Trinamool Congress on Sunday dashed off a letter to the Election Commission against the coverage of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s Kedarnath yatra, which the party described as ‘violation of the model code of conduct’.
“ Even though the Election campaign for the last phase of polling for 2019 Lok Sabha is over as long as back on May 17 at 6 PM, surprisingly Narendra Modi’s Kedarnath Yatra is being covered and widely televised for the last two days in all national as well as local media. This is a gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct, ” Trinamool Congress spokesperson Derek O’Brien said in the letter.
He said the Prime Minister even announced that the master plan for the Kedarnath Temple is ready and also addressed the public and the media at the temple town.
“ lt is absolutely unethical and morally incorrect, ‘ he stated.
“ Every minute detail of his activities during the visit is being widely publicised with an ulterior motive to influence voters directly and/or indirectly. ‘Modi Modi’ chants are also being heard from the background, ” he said.
The TMC leader said all these moves were well calculated with the “ill intention to influence the voters” on the polling day.
‘ It is unfortunate that the poll body has not taken any action against the Prime Minister, ‘ it added.
“ Election Commission, the highest body and the eyes and ears of the democratic process, remains blind and deaf to the gross violation of the MCC. l would request you to take immediate action and stop telecast of such surreptitious and unfair campaign which is also morally wrong, ” he commented.
Even the Congress leader Shatrughna Sinha has also raised questions on the intentions of the Prime Minister to publicise his personal acts of meditation at Kedarnath. He said that Modi has all his rights to meditate at a shrine but how far it is ethical to get it reported by the media is a matter of concern.
Normally, even for a man who has minimum awareness about politics and ethics related to the MCC, it is confusing as what was the pressing need for Modi to do a meditation at the shrine under high-voltage media glare.
