DMK moves EC against PM Modi, FM Sitharaman over model code violations ahead of LS polls

The ruling Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) on Tuesday filed two complaints with the Election Commission in Tamil Nadu against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

In the first complaint to chief electoral officer Satyabrata Sahoo, DMK’s organising secretary RS Bharathi raised the incident where schoolchildren participated in Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s roadshow in Coimbatore on March 18. The second complaint was against Union finance minister Nirmala Sitharaman for alleged hate speech.

Tamil Nadu’s Coimbatore district administration on Tuesday ordered a probe after students from Sri Sai Baba Vidhyalayam Aided Middle School in Sai Baba colony post which was the starting point of Modi’s road show had attended. The district’s education department sent a notice to the school management seeking a detailed explanation.

“This is to state that Bharatiya Janata Party members have involved children below 12 to 15 years old in their campaigning activities,” the complaint said.

“The Children were made to wear clothes with Bharatiya Janata Party insignia and further they were made to recite poems and sing songs in a music display organised by them. In continuation of the above, children were made to wear saffron robes and stand in queue in the public road carrying Bharatiya Janata Party flags in their hand while the Hon’ble Prime Minister Modi was conducting his road show.”

In the second complaint, Bharathi said that the Bharatiya Janata Party is making a defamatory speech in the public, media, and social media to diminish the reputation of the DMK with an ill motive and with a hope of winning elections by spreading false propaganda by violating the Model Code of Conduct and Representation of People Act, 1951. After the Election Commission of India announced the General Election on March 16 at 3pm, Sitharaman addressed a meeting for a youtube channel named Chanakyaa at 5,30pm, he said.

The DMK translated her speech as her questioning why anyone would vote for the Dravidian party which is destroying religion and plundering temples. “The above said false Statement by the Union Minister Mrs. Nirmala Sitharaman is made with a view to evoke religious feelings of a particular Religion, in connection with the Elections,” the DMK said.

She has violated the model code of conduct through her hate speech and unverified allegations, the ruling party of Tamil Nadu added.

“Our Party never worked against the temples, any religion and at no point of time worked against the interest of the temples,” the complaint said and listed the steps taken towards protecting temples and their land.

“Our party is extending cooperation for the development of all religions without any discrimination. As stated in the Constitution of India our party is following “SECULARISM’ and no discrimination is made against any religion. People following different religions are living in Tamil Nadu peacefully and a brotherhood is cherished among them.”