A petition filed by lawyer and TNCC member A.P. Suryaprakasam and others seeks to prevent Prime Minister Modi from misusing his official position.
The Tamil Nadu Congress Committee (TNCC) has approached the Madras High Court, claiming that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s widely publicised meditation at the Vivekananda Rock in Kanyakumari is a covert attempt to garner votes for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).
The petition, filed by lawyer and TNCC member A.P. Suryaprakasam along with six other lawyers who are also TNCC office bearers, seeks directives from the Election Commission of India (ECI) to prevent PM Modi from “misusing his official position.”
The plea, yet to be numbered by the High Court Registry, argues that Modi’s three-day meditation, which began on May 30 and is being extensively televised and broadcast, disadvantages opposition parties and breaches the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
“It is submitted that polling in the 7th phase is proposed to be held on June 1, 2024. The cooling period has already started, and any canvassing must cease from the evening of May 30, 2024. No political party, including the Prime Minister, should be allowed to canvass or campaign in any form,” the plea states.
The petition emphasizes the need for the ECI to take immediate steps to prevent the alleged misuse of official positions to ensure free and fair elections during Phase VII.
Additionally, the plea seeks an interim directive to the Chief Secretary and Director General of Police, Tamil Nadu, to ensure that tourists and Hindu devotees are not prevented from visiting the Vivekananda Rock Memorial during the PM’s visit.
