The Election Commission of India Thursday issued a show-cause notice to Congress leader Priyanka Gandhi Vadra over alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct guidelines during election campaign in poll-bound Rajasthan. The EC notice to Priyanka came after a Rajasthan BJP delegation submitted a complaint to poll body, claiming she made false and unverified allegations against Prime Minister Narendra Modi during a rally in Dausa district of the poll-bound state on October 21.
The complaint was filed by the Leader of Opposition in Rajasthan Legislative Assembly, Rajendra Rathore and other state BJP leaders. In the complaint, the BJP claimed that the Congress leader made false statement in respect of Prime Minister Modi and invoked his personal religious devotion.
The Election Commission said that it has found the Congress leader’s speech in which she said that “an envelope offered by PM Modi at the Dev Narayan Temple had Rs 21 inside it” to be prima facie violative of the Model Code of Conduct guidelines.
“… you are hereby called upon to show cause by 17:00 hrs of 30th October, 2023 (Monday) as to why appropriate action for violation of Model Code of Conduct should not be taken against you,” the EC notice to Vadra read.
What did Priyanka Gandhi said during her Dausa rally?
While addressing a rally in Dausa district’s Sikrai constituency, Priyanka had said that she saw on TV that “Prime Minister Modi visited the Dev Narayan Temple here” and offered a donation envelope to the temple deity.
“I watched on TV that after six months, the envelope deposited by the Prime Minister was finally opened. People were wondering what could be inside that envelope. The Prime Minister, a significant leader of our nation, had made a donation there, and when the envelope was revealed, it contained only Rs 21.”
She continued, “This is the state of affairs in our country. Grand announcements are made, various envelopes are presented to you from the stage. However, when you open these envelopes after the elections, there is nothing inside.”