Congress, JD(U) demand Narendra Modi's arrest on the lotus selfie controversy

After pressing the Election Commission to file FIR against BJP's Prime Ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Congress has upped its tirade again. 

It has sought arrest of Narendra Modi on grounds of violation of poll code of conduct that came into effect before the commencement of Lok Sabha elections. 

"EC has already registered the complaint against Modi. He should be arrested for his offence," stated Congress Party legal cell head KC Mittal.

Election Commission has asked the Gujarat Chief Secretary and DGP to send a compliance report by 6 pm today. It also said that all the TV channels and other electronic media which carried the proceedings of the meeting and displayed the election matter should also be proceeded against under Section 126 (l) (b) "by filing separate complaints/FlRs against those channels."

Even JD(U) today demanded immediate arrest of Narendra Modi and countermanding polls in Varanasi and Vadodra for alleged violation of poll code and provisions of People Representation Act by the BJP leader.

In a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner V S Sampath, JD(U) general secretary K C Tyagi also alleged that the poll panel failed in controlling hate speeches.

"Never in the history of Indian democracy, any Prime Ministerial candidate has ever violated the Model Code of Conduct and People's Representation Act the way Modi did yesterday. However, no action has been taken against him till now except for filing FIRs," Tyagi said in his letter.

"We demand that the elections of Narendra Modi's both the constituencies be countermanded immediately and he should be arrested and stopped from participating from the remaining elections for violating the model code of conduct... and people's representation act.

"and hope that this time EC will take strong action to re-establish its control on the election process and give a strong message to all those who are trying to communalise the entire election process in the country," the letter said.

The party which also thanked the EC for conducting the ongoing elections successfully and ensuring high voter turnout at the same time rued that the EC had failed in controlling hate speeches.

"EC has completely failed in controlling the hate speeches, personal character attacks, communal polarisation and the most important violation of election model code of conduct by both the national parties on a regular basis," Tyagi said in his letter.

Citing the example of Amit Shah and Azam Khan, Tyagi said that while action against both was welcomed by all, unfortunately the ban on Amit Shah was withdrawn which "raises doubt on election commission's impartiality against a particular party".

Tyagi said that the judicial pronouncements have already conferred on the EC all the powers necessary for the free and fair conduct of elections based on Article 324 of the Constitution.

After casting his vote on Wednesday at a polling booth in Vadodara, Narendra Modi flashed his controversial 'Lotus symbol' in violation of poll code of conduct. 

Congress filed a compliant against him with election Commission and the body took cognisance of the violation. The body sought for video recording of the incident and a file was filed in Gujarat. The EC also plans to take action against television channels that broadcasted the news. 

Read: JD(U) seeks immediate arrest of Narendra Modi for poll code violation

With agency inputs