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| Poll Panel Asks For Report On Allegations Of PM Roadshow After Voting | | |
New Delhi
Prime Minister Narendra Modi's mini roadshow and speech in Gujarat's Ahmedabad -- where he had gone to vote today -- is being examined, the Election Commission said this evening after a daylong controversy. The Commission said it has sought a report on the matter from the Chief Election Officer of Gujarat.
Ahead of casting his vote today, the Prime Minister rode an open jeep, walked down the road and even gave a short address, which, opposition leaders said was political, and therefore violates the Model Code of Conduct.
"The weapon of terrorism is IED, the strength of democracy is a voter ID," PM Modi said. "I can say with certainty that the voter ID is much, much more powerful than an IED, so we should understand the strength of our voter IDs," he added in what critics said was a reminder of his government's national security plank.
There have been two earlier instances where the Prime Minister was accused of violating the Model Code - a series of dos and don'ts for the government and political leaders ahead of elections.
The Commission said it is still examining all these cases involving the Prime Minister "in entirety".
There have been accusations that the Prime Minister violated the Commission's guideline and repeatedly invoked the armed forces to seek votes. Both CPM and the Congress have complained about the matter.
Today, senior Congress leader Abhishek Manu Singhvi said that the prime minister's long procession and speech was a clear violation of the Model Code and the party has requested the Election Commission to bar him from campaigning for 48 to 72 hours."
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