EC clean chit to PM Narendra Modi in two more cases: Sources

Sources said the EC has also cleared Modi for his April 9 speech at Chitradurga in Karnataka where he had reportedly asked new voters to dedicate their vote for the heroes of the Balakot air strike.

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission has given clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi in two more cases, sources aware of the development said Monday.

The Congress had alleged that he held a "roadshow" in Ahmedabad on April 23 and the sources said the commission has concluded that Modi did not violate the model code and the election law.

They said that the commission has also cleared Modi for his April 9 speech at Chitradurga in Karnataka where he had reportedly asked new voters to dedicate their vote for the heroes of the Balakot air strike.

On the same day, he had made a similar appeal in Ausa in Latur district of Maharashtra. The EC had given a clean chit to him in that case as well, but one of the election commissioners had given a dissenting view in the matter.

Though the commission has so far not made the two decisions public, with these decisions, Modi has been given a clean chit in eight matters.  The poll authorities in Gujarat are learnt to have maintained that prima facie no violation was found.

The Congress had moved the EC alleging that Modi took out a "roadshow" after casting his vote and made political remarks in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

After casting his vote in Ahmedabad, Modi walked some distance from the polling booth and interacted briefly with media persons.

The commission Monday is also learnt to have cleared Congress leader Salman Khurshid's 'gaushala' remarks against Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath, saying no violation was established.

In Farrukhabad, Khurshid had recently challenged Adityanath for a debate. "It will be better if it takes place in a gaushala to find out if the cow is with him or me," the lawyer-politician had reportedly said.

The BJP had moved the commission with a complaint. Earlier, the EC had cleared six speeches of Modi, two of Shah and one of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi had been issued a show cause notice for his Madhya Pradesh speech in which he had reportedly said that the government has enacted a new law which allows tribals to be shot.

On March 19, the EC had issued an advisory asking parties not to invoke armed forces in their political campaign. 

The commission has now submitted a report to the Supreme Court of the cases related to Modi and Shah that it has disposed. Alleging delay on EC's part, the Congress had moved the top court for a remedy.

The matter would come up for hearing on Wednesday.