PM Modi: With his 48-hour meditation trip in Kanyakumari starting on May 30, Prime Minister Narendra Modi, according to the Congress, is attempting to “circumvent” the silence period restrictions. The Congress urged the Election Commission to make sure the media does not air this trip because it violates the model code of conduct.
Congress Submits Memorandum to Election Commission
The Election Commission received a memorandum from a delegation of Congress leaders, including Syed Naseer Hussain, Abhishek Singhvi, and Randeep Surjewala. The letter included 27 more complaints on alleged model code violations made by the BJP in the past few days.
The prime minister’s meditation program in Kanyakumari’s “Dhyan Mandapam,” according to the Congress, was a “clear violation” of the quiet period preceding the June 1 vote in Modi’s Varanasi constituency and other seats. The opposition party further asserted that it violated the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.
Congress Claims Widespread Broadcast Violates Silence Period
It stated that on May 28, a number Indian news outlets carried stories on Narendra Modi’s planned journey to Kanyakumari, where he will meditate for 48 hours beginning on May 30. “The said trip would be widely televised and would therefore be shown during the 48-hour silence period in Varanasi, the constituency from which Shri Narendra Modi is contesting”, the Congress memorandum to the poll body said.
“Through the meditation trip, Shri Narendra Modi is attempting to circumvent the 48-hour silence period and unfairly leverage the ethno-cultural significance of the chosen location in an attempt to bolster his campaign and maximise his vote share in violation of the Representation of the People Act, as well as the Model Code of Conduct”, the party also said.
ECI Urged to Prevent Media Broadcast of Meditation Event
The memorandum also stated that it was against the directives of the Dos and Don’ts that political parties and their candidates must follow throughout the election period. “The PM will start his meditation on the evening of May 30, and we have complained about that. We all know that the silence period will begin on May 30 and thus his declaration is a violation of the MCC.
“The PM can start his meditation after 24-48 hours, which is from the evening of June 1. Otherwise, if he wants to meditate from May 30, then the ECI should ensure that this is not broadcast by the TV or print media”, Singhvi told reporters after the delegation met CEC Rajiv Kumar and other election commissioners.
Congress Demands ECI Action Against Live Telecast
“We hope that the ECI will take immediate steps to ensure that the live telecast of the meditation of the ‘sarva-ghoshit Bhagwan’ (self-styled god) at the Vivekananda Memorial does not take place since this is a brazen and clear violation of the Model Code of Conduct”, Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh said in a post on X. Modi is scheduled to meditate at the Rock Memorial, a Swami Vivekananda monument, on May 30, after the conclusion of the Lok Sabha election campaign, according to statements made by BJP leaders.
Meditation at Dhyan Mandapam Tied to Vivekananda’s Vision
He will meditate at Dhyan Mandapam, where Vivekananda, a spiritual figure Modi greatly admires, is supposed to have had a divine vision about “Bharat Mata,” from the evening of May 30 to the evening of June 1, BJP leaders announced.
The leaders of Congress also lodged a complaint with the Ministry of New and Renewable Energy (MNRE) regarding their “waiver” of the obligatory rules provided for “onshore wind power projects” to Renewable Energy Plants situated in SEZs and EOUs.
Congress Accuses PM and BJP Leaders of MCC Violations
The prime minister and several BJP leaders, including Home Minister Amit Shah, Chief Minister of Uttar Pradesh Yogi Adityanath, and Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma, were accused by the Congress of breaking the model code.
The PM allegedly violated the MCC when he made a number of accusations about the Congress at a Patiala, Punjab, electoral rally in an effort to damage the opposition party’s reputation.
The opposition claimed that Home Minister Shah repeated the narrative that the BJP and its allies are “Ram Bhakts”—devotees of Lord Ram—while simultaneously asserting that the INC and its allies are “Ram Bhakton par Goli Chalane Waale (those who open fire on devotees of Lord Ram)” during his election speech in Ambedkar Nagar, Uttar Pradesh.
BJP Spokesperson Defends PM Modi’s Meditation Trip
BJP national spokesperson Shehzad Poonawalla says, “There is no limit to mental bankruptcy of Congress and INDI alliance. If someone wants to go for austerity that too when the election campaign ends on May 30, as that person took inspiration from Swami Vivekananda, the Congress party is calling it a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). Firstly, they opposed the Ram temple, called Sanatan as dengue and now Congress and INDI alliance have problems with someone going for austerity… People say that he (Rahul Gandhi) often goes abroad for austerity, he can go there at his centre of faith and no one stops him.”