[Marxistindia] CPI(M) General Secretary's letter to ECI on misuse of official machinery by PM

[news from the cpi(m)]

May 1, 2019
 
Press Release
 
Sitaram Yechury, General Secretary of Communist Party of India (Marxist) has
written to the Chief Election Commissioner, Election Commission of India on
the misuse of official machinery by the Prime Minister for electoral
purposes.  We are releasing the text of the letter for publication.
 
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Dear Shri Aroraji,
 
Across the country, there is a growing concern about the manner in which the
Election Commission of India is dealing with the complaints regarding the
gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct by Shri Narendra Modi.  
 
Now a web magazine has published an article showing the manner in which
government infrastructure and machinery has been brazenly used by the Prime
Minister’s Office for securing information from various ministries, as well
as, concerned state and district administration to provide inputs for
preparing his election speeches.  The article also provides documentary
evidence to this effect (Annexure-I, Link:
https://scroll.in/article/919512/model-code-collectors-being-asked-to-send-p
mo-local-information-ahead-of-modi-visits-email-shows).
 
Another web magazine has published an article to provide the grounds which
led to the eventual disqualification of Ms. Indira Gandhi.  It seems that
the violations attributed to  Ms. Gandhi  is of far less import than the
current violations vis-à-vis those committed by Shri Narendra Modi
(Annexure-II, Link:
https://thewire.in/politics/elections-2019-narendra-modi-indira-gandhi-mcc).

 
We would like to pose the same question that we have done in the past.  In
dealing with violations of Model Code of Conduct, the ECI appears to be not
only halting, but carrying on at a pace which is emboldening the
perpetrators and exemplifies the notion of `delayed justice’ amounting to
its actual `denial’!  
 
Therefore the question is, is Shri Narendra Modi, a BJP candidate from
Varanasi constituency in Uttar Pradesh and a star campaigner  for the BJP,
is needed to be treated differently from the enforcement of MCC for the
simple reason that he happens to be the incumbent Prime Minister?  We are
constrained to raise this question because of want of appropriate response
from the Commission in the past, which is adequately empowered by the
Constitution to deal with this in a firm and decisive manner. 
 
Expecting an urgent response.  
 
Thanking you,
 
With regards,
Yours sincerely
 
Sd/-
(Sitaram Yechury)
General Secretary
 
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