GUWAHATI: The Delhi High Court is set to hear a petition on Monday, April 29, seeking disqualification of Prime Minister Narendra Modi for six years for allegedly seeking votes in the name of Hindu and Sikh deities and places of worship.
The plea, filed by Anand S Jondhale, a lawyer, also seeks to restrain Modi from seeking votes in the name of religious deities and places of worship. Justice Sachin Datta, who was scheduled to hear the case today, was not available, causing a delay in the proceedings.
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The petition follows a speech delivered by Modi on April 9 in Uttar Pradesh, where he reportedly sought votes for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by referencing Hindu and Sikh deities and places of worship, and made comments suggesting that opposition parties favoured Muslims. Jondhale argues that this speech, along with others by Modi, could incite religious hatred and thus violates the Model Code of Conduct.
Jondhale claimed he had earlier filed a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) asking that Modi be disqualified from running for office for six years under the Representation of the People Act, 1951, but no steps had been taken. He emphasised that the timing of the speech, just ahead of Lok Sabha polls, made it crucial for the ECI to act swiftly to ensure fair elections.
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In the speech in question, Modi allegedly boasted about constructing the Ram Temple, developing the Kartarpur Sahib Corridor, and retrieving copies of Guru Granth Sahib from Afghanistan. The petition contends that such statements violate the principles of secularism and fair electoral practices.