Delhi HC Dismisses Plea Seeking 6-Year Ban On PM Modi From Contesting Elections

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a plea against Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeking his disqualification from contesting elections for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) while addressing a rally in Uttar Pradesh.

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Earlier, the plea was filed by advocate Anand S Jondhale, who sought Modi’s disqualification from contesting elections for a period of six years for allegedly violating the MCC and sought his disqualification from contesting elections.

Jondhale had referred to Modi’s April 9 speech in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh, where Modi allegedly sought votes in the name of “god and place of worship” and "Hindu deities and Hindu place of worships as well as Sikh deities and Sikh place of worship" while campaigning for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls.

The plea had sought Modi's disqualification from contesting any elections for a period of six years.

Jondhale had argued that Modi violated the Model Code of Conduct mentioned in Compendium of Instructions Volume-III under Rules General Conduct-I(1) and (3).

In his plea, Jondhale stated, "That Respondent No.2 [Modi] said that he has constructed the Ram Temple. Respondent No.2 also stated that he developed Kartarpur Sahib Corridor and removed GST from material used in Langars served in Gurudwaras. The Respondent No.2 also said that he had brought back the copies of Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan."

The plea had also alleged that Modi made comments against opposite political parties as favoring Muslims, which, according to Jondhale, creates hatred and promotes disharmony.

Jondhale had also said that Modi not only sought votes in the name of Hindu and Sikh deities and their places of worship but also violated the MCC by making comments against political opponents.