Image Source: The Indian Express
The Election Commission of India (ECI) is an autonomous constitutional authority responsible for administering election processes in India. It ensures the conduct of free and fair elections at the national, state, and local levels. The ECI was established in 1950 and operates under the authority of the Constitution of India. Its responsibilities include overseeing the electoral rolls, enforcing the Model Code of Conduct, conducting elections for the Lok Sabha (House of the People), Rajya Sabha (Council of States), state legislative assemblies, and the offices of the President and Vice President of India.
Days after the Election Commission refused to make any comments on Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s polarizing speech, however, it seems that they are considering the issue and assessing the speech that was reportedly communal and stoked disharmony among many.
While convening a speech in Banswara, Rajasthan, PM Modi took digs at Congress and made numerous communal and provocative statements, insinuating that the former Prime Minister Dr. Manmohan Singh said, “The Congress declared that Muslims have the first right to the country’s resources. It will distribute wealth to those with more children.” which came out to be an incorrect statement, taken out of context.
The allegation in question comes from a speech he made in December 2006 at the National Development Council when he was the Prime Minister, in which he was advocating for the alleviation of all the backward communities which included schemes and programs for all the marginalized, including ST/SC/Muslims etc.
“They will distribute it to the infiltrators, my mothers, and sisters, this urban-naxal mindset will rob you of your Mangalsutras too” he added. All the incendiary words from the speech have since been removed from his website.
Image Source: India Today
Earlier yesterday, about 93 former civil servants wrote to the Election Commission of India against the speech, “We are a group of former civil servants who have served the Central and State governments in various capacities. We have no affiliation with any political party but are strongly committed to the ideals enshrined in the Constitution of India regarding the outrageously communal speech given by the PM on April 21. We hope the Election Commission of India will at least now take suitable action as suggested in the letter.”
In addition to that, around 2,000 citizens also wrote to the commission in a bid to take cognizance of the electoral violations committed by the BJP, “The Election Commission’s failure to take any action against such hate speech will only undermine its credibility and autonomy that has been safeguarded and upheld by a series of exemplary officers before you.” reads the letter.
The opposition also slammed the leader, President of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi, in a tweet on X said “ Modi today called Muslims infiltrators and people with many children. Since 2002 till this day, the only Modi guarantee has been to abuse Muslims and get votes. If one is talking about the country’s wealth, one should know that under Modi’s rule, the first right to India’s wealth has been of his wealthy friends. 1% Indians own 40% of the country’s wealth. Common Hindus are made to fear Muslims while their wealth is being used to enrich others.”
