No code violation by PM Modi in Patan speech, rules EC

New Delhi: The EC on Saturday gave a clean chit to PM Narendra Modi for his Gujarat speech in which he had claimed that the Indian government had kept Pakistan on its toes to ensure the safe return of its pilot.

This is the sixth clean chit to Mr Modi by the poll watchdog. It was not immediately clear whether the decision on the April 21 Patan speech was unanimous.

One of the election commissioners, according to sources, gave a dissenting view in the EC’s decision to give a clean chit to Mr Modi with regard to his spe-ech at Wardha on April 1, where he attacked the Congress chief for contesting from the minority-dominated Wayanad seat in Kerala, and his appeal to first-time voters by invoking the Balakot airstrike on April 9.

He had also reportedly given dissent in the clean chit to BJP president Amit Shah for his Nagpur speech in which he had reportedly said that Wayand constituency of Kerala is where majority is minority.

In its Saturday’s decision, the EC said, “The matter has been examined in detail in accordance with the extant advisories… After examination, commission is of the view that in this matter no such violation of the extant advisories/provisions is attracted.”

In his Patan speech, Mr Modi had reportedly said that he had warned Pakistan of “conseque-nces” if it did not return IAF pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured after an aerial dogfight with Pakistani F-16s that had violated Indian airspace and targeted military installations in February.