New Delhi, April 30
Dealing with three separate cases, the Election Commission of India ordered registration of an FIR against BJP’s prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, issued a notice to Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal for claiming to have spent crores in electioneering and censured BJP leader Giriraj Singh.

The EC has decided that Narendra Modi, while addressing a meeting in Ahmedabad this morning, made a political speech and brandished of the BJP symbol ‘lotus’, ruling it a violation of the model code of conduct. Polling for all the 26 seats of Gujarat was held today.

The commission said it had seen the video recording of Modi at a meeting in Ahmedabad. It said, “From the substance, tone and tenor of the address made by Modi and the statements made by him and the manner in which the BJP symbol was being displayed by him at the said meet... (it) was in the nature of political speech intended to influence and affect the result of elections in the constituencies going to polls today, not only in Ahmadabad but also in all other constituencies in Gujarat and elsewhere in the country.”

The EC said Modi had violated the provisions of Sections 126 (1) (a) and 126 (l) (b) of the Representation of Peoples Act. An FIR should be filed against Narendra Modi and all others who were involved in holding of the said meeting. The EC went one step ahead and asked registration of an FIR against TV channels for broadcasting the event.

“Two FIRs have been registered by the city crime branch in connection with the events,” said Gujarat DGP P C Thakur. One of the FIRs is against television channels which broadcast the press conference.

The EC served a notice on Punjab CM Parkash Singh Badal for having admitted that crores were spent in electioneering. The EC said: “Addressing a meeting on April 12 at Jalandhar, you had addressed the audience as under: ‘Croran rupaiyya kharch hunda hai, bhaven hisab vich assi thoda vikhaunde haan ...... parde naal davo, sahmane na davo (crores are spent on campaigning, though we show less in expenditure details.... Give quietly, don’t give openly)’.”

The EC notice cites Rule 90 of the Conduct of Elections Rules, 1961, which prescribes the maximum limit of expenditure. The EC has warned that the expenditure in contravention of the rules is a corrupt practice which is a ground for setting aside the election of the returned candidates. The EC also censured Giriraj Singh for his alleged speeches in Jharkhand and Bihar.