Declining to act on petitions by the Congress and BJP seeking each other's de-recognition for repeated violations of the model code of conduct and use of intemperate language by party leaders, the Election Commission on Thursday put all parties on notice and warned of action in case they still failed to restrain themselves.
Observing that the "plummeting levels of political discourse witnessed during the ongoing elections...are a matter of serious concern and deep anguish", the Commission said the flood of complaints and counter-complaints it had received so far indicated the mouthing of provocative and inflammatory statements calculated to cause disharmony. Also, intemperate and abusive language used by party leaders had trangressed the limits of decency, and personal attacks on political rivals aggravated differences between parties, besides creating a divide on communal and religious lines.
"The gravity of the situation can be guaged by the fact that the Commission is seized of petitions from two national recognised parties seeking each other's derecognition for repeated violations of the model code under Para 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968," noted the EC.
The petitions had followed separate complaints to the Commission against BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for their intemperate/communal remarks during campaigning. The EC had found them guilty of violating the model code and, in separate orders, disapproved of their remarks and warned them to be more circumspect about their utterances.
While clarifying that it recognised the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression, the Commission in its general order on Thursday pointed out that such a right was "not absolute and is to be exercised in such a manner that it does not transcend, inter alia, the boundaries of decency and morality or disturb public order or amount to defamation or give incitement to an offence ordained in clause (2) of Article 19 of the Constitution".
Reminding that the model code of conduct dissuaded parties from resorting to personal attacks and making communal appeals, the Commission said that while it did not intend to take action on the Congress's and BJP's complaints, it "desires to put all political parties on notice that any repeated violations of the model code of conduct and use of intemperate and abusive language may invite action against the defaulting parties".
Observing that the "plummeting levels of political discourse witnessed during the ongoing elections...are a matter of serious concern and deep anguish", the Commission said the flood of complaints and counter-complaints it had received so far indicated the mouthing of provocative and inflammatory statements calculated to cause disharmony. Also, intemperate and abusive language used by party leaders had trangressed the limits of decency, and personal attacks on political rivals aggravated differences between parties, besides creating a divide on communal and religious lines.
"The gravity of the situation can be guaged by the fact that the Commission is seized of petitions from two national recognised parties seeking each other's derecognition for repeated violations of the model code under Para 16A of the Election Symbols (Reservation and Allotment) Order, 1968," noted the EC.
The petitions had followed separate complaints to the Commission against BJP prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi and Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi for their intemperate/communal remarks during campaigning. The EC had found them guilty of violating the model code and, in separate orders, disapproved of their remarks and warned them to be more circumspect about their utterances.
While clarifying that it recognised the fundamental right of freedom of speech and expression, the Commission in its general order on Thursday pointed out that such a right was "not absolute and is to be exercised in such a manner that it does not transcend, inter alia, the boundaries of decency and morality or disturb public order or amount to defamation or give incitement to an offence ordained in clause (2) of Article 19 of the Constitution".
Reminding that the model code of conduct dissuaded parties from resorting to personal attacks and making communal appeals, the Commission said that while it did not intend to take action on the Congress's and BJP's complaints, it "desires to put all political parties on notice that any repeated violations of the model code of conduct and use of intemperate and abusive language may invite action against the defaulting parties".
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