Local poll authorities in Maharashtra are learnt to have told the Election Commission (EC) here that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks asking first-time voters to dedicate their vote to those who carried out the Balakot air strike, are prima facie violative of its orders, asking parties against using the armed forces in their campaigns.
Addressing a rally in Ausa in Maharashtra’s Latur on April 9, Modi said, “Can your first vote be dedicated to those who carried out the air strike.”
“I want to tell the first-time voters: Can your first vote be dedicated to the ‘veer jawans’ (valiant soldiers) who carried out the air strike in Pakistan. Can your first vote be dedicated to the ‘veer shaheed’ (brave martyrs) of Pulwama (terror attack),” Modi said.
“We have received the report. It is under examination,” deputy election commissioner Chandra Bhushan Kumar said here.
Asked about the observations made by the district election officer, he said that cannot be disclosed.
The EC had sought the report in the context of an EC advisory issued last month asking parties to desist from indulging in political propaganda involving actions of the armed forces.
“… parties/candidates are advised that their campaigners/candidates should desist, as part of their election campaigning, from indulging in any political propaganda involving activities of defence forces,” the commission said on March 19.