SC dismisses plea seeking six-year ban on PM Modi from elections

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Tuesday declined to entertain a plea seeking directions to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to disqualify Prime Minister Narendra Modi from elections for six years for “seeking votes in the name of religious deities and places of worship”.

A bench presided over by Justice Vikram Nath told the petitioner’s counsel that such a plea filed directly before the apex court under Article 32 of the Constitution could not be entertained and relevant authorities should be approached first.

The Bench, also comprising Justice S.C. Sharma, remarked that it could allow the withdrawal of the plea. At this, the petitioner’s counsel sought liberty to approach the ECI with the grievance raised in the plea.

Without granting any liberty, the apex court dismissed the petition as withdrawn.

The petitioner, Fatima, a Delhi-based resident, submitted that since the ECI failed to take any action against the Prime Minister, she is approaching the apex court in a great hurry.

The plea alleged that PM Modi “not only sought votes in the name of Hindu and Sikh deities and their places of worship but also made comments against opposite political parties as favouring Muslims.”

Earlier in April, the Delhi High Court had dismissed a petition seeking the disqualification of PM Modi for allegedly soliciting votes for the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) by invoking Hindu and Sikh deities and places of worship.