Modi ‘Infiltrator’ Remark: Congress moves EC

New Delhi: The Congress on Monday filed a complaint before the Election Commission against Prime Minister Narendra Modi over his ‘infiltrator’ remark at a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara.

A Congress delegation met the Election Commission of India and demanded strict action over the Prime Minister’s speech. Party leader Abhishek Singhvi told the media that the Prime Minister had equated a community with “infiltrators” and brought in Hindu imagery in the form of his references to ‘mangalsutra’. “The Prime Minister has clearly violated the model code of conduct and targeted the Constitution,” he said, adding that this is a question of the poll body’s credibility. “The Election Commission is on trial,” he said.

“We respect the office he (PM Modi) holds; he is as much our PM as yours or the BJP. The higher the position he holds, the more the obligation he holds to exercise restraint. Unfortunately, the statement he quoted, it is seriously objectionable. We can never expect this from the PM. We would pray to him with folded hands to withdraw these comments and clarify,” Singhvi said.

Addressing an election rally in Banswara, the PM said, “The Congress manifesto says they will calculate the gold with mothers and sisters, and then distribute that property. They will distribute it to whom - Manmohan Singh’s government had said that Muslims have the first right on the country’s assets.”

“PM Narendra Modi and BJP senior leaders have deliberately and repeatedly, invoked religion, religious symbols and religious sentiments in the election campaign and the same is being done without any impunity,” the Congress said in its complaint.

The Congress alleged that the Prime Minister made “false and divisive insinuations, targeted at a particular religious community and a clear provocation to the general public to act out and breach peace, potentially against such a religious community”.

The grand old party said it filed numerous complaints against PM Modi and the BJP, but the poll panel has not even issued a show-cause notice to him. “The Commission must ask itself if the same leeway would be granted to any other candidate if the so arrogantly and repeatedly defied the laws of our country,” the Congress wrote.

Earlier, Congress chief Mallikarjun Kharge said in a post on X that the Prime Minister’s remarks in Rajasthan amounted to hate speech and were aimed at diverting public attention. “The country’s 140 crore people won’t be misled by lies. Our manifesto talks of equality, justice for all,” he said.