Can Election Commission take action on PM Modi’s ‘Mahadhyaan’? Know what the rules say

New Delhi: Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 45-hour meditation has begun at the Dhyan Mandapam of Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari. The opposition is continuously targeting PM Modi over his/her meditation. Congress says that this is a direct violation of the election code of conduct. Congress has appealed to the Election Commission to ensure that the media does not telecast Modi’s meditation program. Not only this, TMC chief Mamata Banerjee said that if PM Modi’s meditation program is telecast, the party will complain to the Election Commission. CPIM has even written a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Rajiv Kumar requesting to ban the telecast of news related to PM’s meditation. Amidst this uproar of the opposition, let us know whether PM Modi’s meditation is really a violation of the code of conduct. Let us know what are the rules

Know the rules of the Election Commission

The Election Commission issues a model code of conduct for elections. All political parties, leaders and candidates have to follow it. One of those rules says that all parties and candidates should honestly refrain from doing all those things which are considered corrupt practices or crimes according to the law. Such as bribing voters, threatening them, getting someone to vote on behalf of someone else, campaigning within 100 meters of polling stations, organizing public meetings during the period of 48 hours before the end of voting, and bringing and taking voters to the polling booth. According to this rule, PM Modi is not participating in any election campaign nor is he/she saying anything which is mentioned in the Model Code of Conduct.

You cannot campaign where you vote

According to Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, holding any public meeting, taking out a procession or participating in it in connection with the election is prohibited. Along with this, election related material cannot be displayed to the public with the help of cinema and television or other equipment. Along with this, it is prohibited to distribute election material to the public by organizing any program to attract the public during the period of 48 hours before voting in the polling area. Since then, the method of election campaigning has changed a lot. Now elections are held in several phases and in the area where voting is to take place, the election campaign ends a few hours before but in other places the election campaign continues. Here rallies are broadcast even during voting.

Voting was done in Kanyakumari on 19th April itself

In such a situation, PM Modi is meditating in Kanyakumari, where voting was completed in the first phase. In such a situation, PM Modi is not violating Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and the code of conduct during meditation. Let us tell you that on the evening of May 29, the Prime Minister’s Office had informed the Election Commission about Modi’s plan to meditate at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial on May 31 and June 1.

Let us tell you that PM Modi did a similar meditation in Kedarnath just before the last phase of the Lok Sabha elections in 2019, when voting was to be held in Varanasi. Then almost all the opposition parties had complained to the Election Commission and termed it as pseudo propaganda. However, the Election Commission refused to ban the PM’s meditation plan. It had ‘reminded’ the PMO at that time that the Model Code of Conduct is still in force and should be followed.