On Monday, the Delhi High Court dismissed a plea filed by lawyer Anand S Jondhale seeking the disqualification of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from contesting elections on grounds of violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The plea was deemed “thoroughly misconceived” by the court.
Anand’s plea aimed to disqualify the Prime Minister from contesting elections for a period of six years, citing a purported violation of the model code of conduct during an election rally held in Uttar Pradesh.
Justice Sachin Datta, presiding over a single judge bench, remarked that the petitioner’s assertion presupposed a violation of the model code of conduct. The court clarified its jurisdiction, stating that it could not issue directives to the Election Commission regarding the handling of complaints.
The court noted that the petitioner had already approached the Election Commission, emphasizing the Commission’s authority to independently evaluate the complaint. Additionally, Advocate Siddhant Kumar, representing the Election Commission, assured the court that the complaint would be duly processed and addressed.
In his plea, Anand alleged that during an election rally in Pilbhit, Uttar Pradesh, on April 9, Prime Minister Modi made references to Hindu and Sikh deities. The Prime Minister purportedly asserted that the INDIA bloc parties harbored animosity towards the construction of the Ram Temple in Ayodhya. He also claimed that the INDIA bloc disrespected ‘Shakti’, a revered concept in Hinduism.
Prime Minister Modi’s statements during the rally, particularly regarding the INDIA bloc’s stance on the Ram Temple and ‘Shakti’, were contested by Anand, who argued that they constituted a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
