After Congress complains, report on PM’s poll speech in Barmer sent to EC

The election office in Rajasthan’s Barmer on Saturday sent a factual report of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s speech in Barmer to the Election Commission of India, a top official who didn’t want to be named said.

The election watchdog had sought the report on a Congress complaint regarding the PM’s speech during an election rally on April 21.

The official said Congress spokesperson Randeep Surjewala had complained to the EC alleging that PM Narendra Modi repeatedly flouted the EC’s guidelines by mentioning the armed forces in his poll campaign.

In his April 21 address, PM Modi said, “India has stopped the policy of getting scared of Pakistan’s threats. Every other day they say ‘we have a nuclear button, we have a nuclear button’. What do we have then? Have we kept it for Diwali?”

The Congress filed a complaint against this the next day, demanding a ban on the PM’s campaign.

The Barmer official said the EC had sought a factual report from the district election office two days ago.

“Following the EC’s directions a detailed factual report along with a CD containing the PM’s speech has been sent to the Election Commission. The EC will take the final call,” the election officer said.

Earlier, the Barmer DEO also issued a notice to BJP candidate Kailash Choudhary for the presence of posters of IAF wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman in the public meeting which was addressed by the PM. Choudhary denied the charge in his written reply and said it was a conspiracy against him.

The Congress has fielded Manvendra Singh, son of former external affairs minister Jaswant Singh, from Barmer. He joined the Congress before the 2018 assembly elections.