Cong alleges PM Narendra Modi violated model code by holding Varanasi road show, asks EC to take action

New Delhi: The Congress on Saturday accused Prime Minister Narendra Modi of violating the model code of conduct by holding a road show in Varanasi without permission of poll authorities.

The party asked the Election Commission officials to file an FIR against the Prime Minister and other senior BJP leaders.

In a letter to the EC, the Congress alleged that Modi took out the road show in Varanasi from BHU (Banaras Hindu University) "without the necessary permission from the competent authority".

"It is requested that action may be taken and FIR registered against all BJP leaders including Narendra Modi who were part of the road show," said K C Mittal, AICC secretary incharge of legal and human rights cell.

The opposition party said the entire video recording of the road show has been shown by various channels and election authorities must also have recorded the same.
Mittal said the road show covers three assembly seats of Varanasi South, Varanasi Cantt and Varanasi North and Modi also visited the Kashi Vishwanath Temple and Kaal Bhairo Temple during the event.

"All this was done without any requisite permission for conducting the road show from the competent authority of the Election Commission," Mittal told PTI.

On a whirlwind day in his Lok Sabha constituency to rally voters around the BJP in eastern Uttar Pradesh, Modi took out a road show, offered prayers at the two historic temples and paid tributes to Hindutva ideologue Madan Mohan Malviya today.

His road show was held on a day when 49 constituencies went to polls in the sixth phase of UP Assembly elections and people in large numbers turned out as Modi's cavalcade moved at a snail's pace.

BJP leaders believe the event, broadcast live on most regional TV news channels, will help their cause when the 40 remaining seats go to polls in the final phase on March 8.

The seven-phase assembly polls in UP end on March 8 and results will be out on March 11.