The Election Commission on Thursday gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on his speech at Rajasthan’s Barmer, in which he had said that “India’s nuclear weapons are not meant for Diwali”.

This was the third clean chit to PM Modi in the complaints of poll code violations filed against him.

Highlighting the party’s national security theme at a rally in Rajasthan’s Barmer, the Prime Minister had said, “India has quit the policy of being scared of Pakistani threats… Else, every other day they announced, ‘We have nuclear button, we have nuclear button’. So what do we have then? Are those being saved for Diwali?”

A detailed report on the matter was received from the Rajasthan Chief Electoral Officer and the “matter has been examined in detail in accordance with the extant advisories, provisions of the Model Code of Conduct”, the poll panel said in a statement.

After examining the complete transcript of the speech of 10 pages “as per the certified copy sent by the returning officer of Barmer parliamentary Constituency”, the commission “is of the considered view that in this matter no such violation of the extant advisories/provisions is attracted”, it added.

EC’s decision was announced hours after the Supreme Court asked the commission to rule by May 6 on remaining complaints against PM Modi and Amit Shah for alleged violations of model code of conduct.

Meanwhile, a verdict on another complaint pertaining to the “use of armed forces for political propaganda” is yet to be out.

The Congress has claimed that PM Modi and Amit Shah have used military operations as propaganda during the election campaign but the poll panel did not act against them despite various complaints.

The Congress had earlier moved the Election Commission against PM Modi and Shah for allegedly “dragging” the armed forces in politics repeatedly.

PM Modi while addressing a rally in Maharashtra’s Latur had reportedly asked first-time voters to dedicate their votes to those who carried out the air strike in Balakot and the slain jawans of Pulwama terror attack.

The EC has been claiming that it was reviewing the speech.

In another case, the EC had on Tuesday given a clean chit to PM Modi saying that no violation of poll code had been done by the PM during his speech at Wardha in Maharashtra earlier this month in which he had accused Congress of using the term ‘Hindu terror’.

The EC had received a complaint from Congress about PM Modi’s speech on April 1 which accused him of making ‘hate speeches’.

Earlier in March, the poll body had ruled that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address to the nation announcing the successful test of the anti-satellite missile (ASAT) did not violate the model code of conduct (MCC).

The opposition had accused PM Modi of grossly violating the Model Code of Conduct by diverting nation’s attention from real issues ahead of the Lok Sabha polls.

(With agency inputs)