NEW DELHI, November 21: The Election Commission on Thursday examined a video CD of a public discourse that Bharatiya Janata Party’s prime-ministerial candidate Narendra Modi addressed in Chhattisgarh on November 7.
It asked Mr. Modi to be more careful in public discourses he gives in the future.
After unfavourably considering Mr. Modi’s November 19 reply on his “khooni panjaa” remark, the panel pointed out that the right to freedom of speech and expression, under Article 19 (1)(a) of the Constitution, “is not absolute and is to be exercised in such a manner that it does not transcend, inter alia, the boundaries of decency and morality or disturb public order or cause defamation.”
‘No personal attacks’
In his reply, Mr. Modi had denied the allegations, saying he had only criticised the policies and programmes of the Congress and not made any personal attacks on the party’s leaders.
However, Mr. Modi said he would, in the spirit of fostering a healthy democracy, remain willing to engage with the EC in evolving more refined and specific guidelines aimed at maintaining decorum in public discourse.
While the EC noted that Mr. Modi was conscious of its concern about the language used in public discourse, it refused to accept his stand that the same strict standards cannot be enforced for remarks against political parties.
‘Decorum paramount’
“The Commission considers that while criticising the policies, programmes and past records of political parties, the expressions and utterances, even when used colloquially, have to be couched in such terms that the same conform to dignity, decorum and public morality,” the order noted.
