The Election Commission of India has issued a show-cause notice to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra for making a 'unverified' allegation against Prime Minister Narendra Modi. The notification is part of the Election Commission's commitment to safeguarding election fairness and adhering to the Model Code of Conduct.
The notice comes after the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) submitted a complaint accusing Gandhi of making "false" and "unverified" statements about Prime Minister Modi during an electoral rally in Madhya Pradesh. According to the BJP's representation to the Election Commission, Priyanka Gandhi made a "baseless and false" accusation that the Modi government had privatised public sector undertakings (PSUs).
During a public rally in Madhya Pradesh's Sanwer Assembly Constituency, Vadra allegedly claimed that Prime Minister Modi had given over PSU Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL) to "his industrialist friends."
“It has been alleged that while addressing a public rally at Sanwer Assembly Constituency in Madhya Pradesh, you have made unverified and false statements in respect of Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi that have the potential to mislead the public and tarnish the image of the Prime Minister,” the commision stated in an issued statement.
The Election Commission has asked Priyanka Gandhi Vadra to explain her comments by Thursday at 8 p.m. The notification emphasises the Election Commission's commitment to protecting the election process's integrity by addressing concerns about disinformation and unsubstantiated claims made during political campaigns.
Earlier today, the EC issued a show cause notice to Delhi Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Arvind Kejriwal for alleged insulting statements made against the prime minister on the AAP's social media profile, requesting a response to the allegation of election code violation by November 16.
The election commission said it received a complaint from the BJP on November 10 over AAP X (previously Twitter) tweets. The saffron party claims that the tweets represented PM Modi in a "disparaging, insulting, and defamatory" way with "scurrilous and malicious intent."