Congress MP Sushmita Dev said that speeches given by Modi and Shah are also punishable under section 153A of the Indian Penal Code as they "blatantly promote disharmony and feelings of enmity on the grounds of religion and such acts are also likely to prejudice the maintenance of public harmony and tranquility between religious communities".
Bharatiya Janata Party member of Parliament Ramsinh Rathwa on Friday questioned the notice issued to him by the Election Commission of India for attending a garba function at Dabhoi town early this week.
"How dare they attack my car! I kept mum only because the elections are on. Or else I would have seen how big they have grown," Banerjee said at a rally in Goghat.
The election authorities on Tuesday gave a clean chit to Civil Aviation Minister Ajit Singh's son and Rashtriya Lok Dal leader Jayant Chowdhury who was caught on camera accepting money from a local leader in Mathura and allegedly violating the model code of conduct.
The Election Commission on Wednesday announced that Himachal Pradesh and Gujarat will go to polls in November and December respectively.
A local court in Mau on Saturday issued non-bailable warrant against actor Sanjay Dutt for not appearing before it in connection with a violation of model code of conduct case lodged during last Lok Sabha elections
A controversy broke out on Monday over the transfer of a poll observer, an IAS officer, who allegedly ordered the stopping of a motorcycle rally of Congress campaigner and Priyanka Gandhi's husband Robert Vadra on the charge of violating the model code of conduct.
The Election Commission pulled up the Home Ministry on Friday over news that it had announced fresh compensation for 1984 riot victims, questioning why it had not denied the media reports if no decision had been taken in this regard as claimed by the government.
The probe into alleged tax evasion and holding of directorship in multiple firms against the former banker pertains to a time period between 2015-17, they said.
Narendra Modi on Tuesday denied having violated the Model Code of Conduct in his reply to the Election Commission notice over his "khooni panja" remark made during poll campaign in Chhattisgarh.
The Election Commission has decided to set up call centres across in the five poll-bound states -- Kerala, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Assam and Puducherry -- which will operate round the clock. These centres will receive complaints about the violation of the model code of conduct by the various candidates and their supporters.
The government had approached the Commission seeking clearance for the regular radio programme as Model Code of Conduct is in force in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Goa and Manipur which are going for assembly polls between February 4 and March 8.
TMC demanded 'strong action' for the 'unfounded, inappropriate and illegal' campaign and utterances of Modi.
The Election Commission on Tuesday issued a showcause notice, the second in the last three days, to Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal for "prima facie" violation of the poll code by allegedly making a speech where he asked voters to take bribes from the Bharatiya Janata Party and Congress but only vote for his party.
Of the 59 assembly constituencies, three have been categorised as 'sensitive' and 590 localities marked as 'vulnerable,' according to the police.
While Twitter had taken down one of his controversial tweets on Friday following directions of the EC, a first information report was lodged against him under Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act dealing with creating enmity among classes.
This will be the first civic election after the fresh delimitation exercise, and the much-awaited poll will be held in the gap between the two phases of the Gujarat assembly elections, which will take place on December 1 and 5.
The CEC, who was in the state last week to oversee the poll arrangements, said sufficient number of central paramilitary forces would be available to ensure free and fair polls.
With the announcement of poll schedule for five states, the Election Commission has directed the authorities to enforce the model code of conduct strictly and also asked parties in power to ensure that there is no cause for complaint.
The commission has also decided to direct the chief secretary to inquire as to how public property was allowed to be defaced in violation of the Bihar Prevention of Defacement of Property Act.
An average 59.24 per cent voter turnout was recorded as of 5 pm on Thursday across 89 assembly seats in the first phase of Gujarat elections, officials said.
A bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi said it would hear the petition on Tuesday.
The official announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule, tentatively scheduled on Sunday, has been delayed as Election Commissioner Navin Chawla has taken a two-day leave. The sudden move has triggered speculations that the EC was biding for more time, to give the United Progressive Alliance government an opportunity to continue its advertisements, before the model code of conduct comes into force with the announcement of the poll schedule.
With just 50 days to go for the polling day, the commission might get more tough.
'We are not Mahatma Gandhi's children that we keep giving and not get anything in return.'
The Election Commission on Wednesday issued notice to Petroleum Minister Murli Deora for his remarks on effecting a fuel price cut after the conclusion of assembly elections next month. The opposition Bharatiya Janata Party had approached Chief Election Commissioner N Gopalaswami over the issue contending that the announcement amounted to violation of the Model Code of Conduct enforced by the commission.
The Election Commission on Wednesday served a notice to veteran CPI-M leader Anil Basu for using certain "obscene" remarks against Trinamool Chief Mamata Banerjee saying "prima facie" his utterances violated model code of conduct.
The Karnataka unit of the Bharatiya Janata Party on Friday petitioned electoral authorities against Unique Identification Authority of India Chairman Nandan Nilekani, tipped to be the Congress's candidate from Bangalore in Lok Sabha polls, taking exception to his name and picture figuring with Aadhar Card advertisements when the Model Code of Conduct is in force.
The BJP has seven days to file its reply, sources said.
In a major embarrassment for ex-chief minister Jitan Ram Manjhi ahead of Bihar polls, his son Praveen Kumar was on Sunday detained by the police after he was allegedly found carrying Rs 4.65 lakh in cash in a car.
The stage is set for the high-stakes civic polls in Delhi on Sunday, with poll authorities and security forces all geared up for the elections, largely being seen as a three-way contest among the Aam Aadmi Party, the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Congress.
More time for fulfilling export obligations also likely.
The EC said 'there are several scenes depicting a major opposition party as corrupt and showing them in poor light. Their leaders have been depicted in such a manner that their identification is clear and obvious to the viewers'.
If the EC decides to put on hold a gas price revision for RIL, it would set a precedent for pricing decisions of the government and policy decisions taken but undergoing procedural delays.
The transcript of the communiqus issued to Modi, Sonia an Digvijay Singh
The EC said that Pradeep Singh Jadeja, MLA, had printed pamphlets showing photograph of himself and the chief minister with the BJP symbol Lotus alongside the picture of 'Maa Amba'.
The scuffle took place near Borivali station where Matondkar was campaigning.
Failing to get Election Commission's nod for campaigning and undertaking preparatory activities for launch of the scheme on April 1, the government on Thursday announced its decision to defer extension of the scheme to other citizens. The Centre has already implemented the new pension system for its employees who joined on or after January 1, 2004.
The Election Commission on Wednesday expressed "strong displeasure" over Shiv Sena Member of Parliament Sanjay Raut's remarks that Muslims should be stripped of voting rights and advised him to be more circumspect in future in his public utterance.
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