The Delhi High Court has dismissed a plea seeking action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for alleged communal speeches made during the Lok Sabha election campaign. The plea, filed by advocate Amit Sahni, had sought the registration of a First Information Report (FIR) against Modi for speeches made in Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, alleging that they incited communal tensions. The plea cited specific instances where Modi allegedly made statements that could be construed as promoting communalism, including his remarks about Congress “taking away wealth from people and redistributing it to infiltrators” and “those with more children.” The plea also cited another speech where Modi allegedly said that Congress gave religion-based reservations. The petitioner argued that the Election Commission of India (ECI) had failed to take “effective action” despite receiving numerous complaints from citizens regarding Modi’s speeches. The ECI had earlier declined to comment on the allegations against Modi. The court, however, dismissed the plea, holding that it cannot micromanage the ECI in its handling of alleged MCC violations. The court observed that it cannot presume that the ECI will not take appropriate action and that the petitioner’s plea was “misconceived.” The court’s decision has been met with mixed reactions. Some have welcomed the decision, arguing that the court should not interfere in the ECI’s independent functioning. Others have criticized the decision, arguing that the court should have taken a more proactive role in addressing the allegations against Modi. The issue of communal speeches during election campaigns has been a contentious one in India, with allegations of such speeches being made by candidates from various political parties. The ECI has been tasked with enforcing the MCC, which prohibits candidates from making statements that could incite communal tensions. However, there have been concerns that the ECI has not always been effective in preventing such speeches from being made.
HC Dismisses Plea Seeking Action Against PM Modi for Alleged Communal Speeches
