19 April,2024 06:58 PM IST | New Delhi | mid-day online correspondent
Jairam Ramesh. File Pic
The Congress on Friday accused the ruling BJP of violating the Model Code of Conduct by using "one particular issue" on social media as an appeal to voters and urged the Election Commission (EC) to take immediate note of it and put a stop to such practices.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh urged the EC to take note of the Bharatiya Janata Party's (BJP) "flagrant and blatant violation" of the Representation of the People Act, but did not mention the issue being highlighted by the ruling party on social media.
In a post on X, Ramesh said the BJP is using "one particular issue" on social media as an appeal to voters.
"This is a flagrant and blatant violation of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the Election Commission's Model Code of Conduct, and also of numerous judgments of the Supreme Court," the former Union minister said.
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"We hope that the Election Commission will take immediate note and put a stop to such appeals," he added.
Meanwhile, the Congress alleged the BJP's "400 paar" rallying cry suggests a desire to change the Constitution and asked whether Prime Minister Narendra Modi truly honours Mahatma Gandhi's legacy and the values he stood for.
Congress general secretary Jairam Ramesh attacked Modi just ahead of his rally in Maharashtra's Wardha and posed questions to him.
"Today's questions for PM Modi as he heads to Wardha: What is the PM doing to prevent farmer suicides? Why has the BJP let down Adivasis in Forest Rights Act implementation? Where does the PM stand between Gandhi and Godse?" Ramesh said in a post on X.
Elaborating on what he said were "jumla details", the Congress leader said, "On an average day in Maharashtra, seven farmers take their own lives."
"This heartbreaking statistic comes from the state's Minister for Relief and Rehabilitation, who reported that 2,366 farmers died by suicide between January and October last year. The reasons are evident: 60 per cent of districts faced drought conditions last year but no help arrived from the government," he alleged.
When crops were damaged by unseasonal rains in more than half of the state, farmers were extended loan waivers, but 6.56 lakh farmers were deprived of this relief due to software glitches, he said.
