EC should act fearlessly

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday appeared treading on sensitive ground, as he asked first-time voters to dedicate their votes to the Balakot air-strike soldiers and the jawans who were killed in Pulwama. The Election Commission has taken cognisance of Modi's remarks and has sought a report from poll officials in Maharashtra as the Commission had asked parties to keep out of campaigning the activities of the defence forces.

The CPM wrote to the Election Commission alleging violation of the model code saying, "With deep anguish we are drawing your attention to the latest violation of the Model Code of Conduct by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. He is also violating the specific direction of the Election Commission to refrain from invoking the armed forces for seeking votes."

What is more vexing and sad part of the drama is that the Election Commission was not doing anything about it. In a sense, it is a classical example of the fence is eating the crops. As one of the top executive heads of the government, Modi should have refrained from speaking like that and but instead he woefully flouted the norms of Model Code of election. Law is not a curate's egg, and what is sauce for the goose is sauce for the gander. If Model Code is applicable to all other parties, then its should be applicable to the BJP also.

What would have been a redeeming feature (his strategical decision to strike back the Pulwama terror attack) for Modi, became his bane owing to his own faux pas. With power and pelf at one's disposal, one has greater leeway to violate ethical norms/laws, but when people choose to reject such person, then he is dethroned, and thus he becomes the bete noire. It may be good for the smooth conduct of the election that each political party must adhere to the rules being issued by the Election Commision of India from time to time.

-T K Nandanan, Kochi