Election Commission Examining PM’s Balakot Air Strike Remarks

PM Narendra Modi.

(Photo: PTI)

Prime Minister Narendra Modi's remarks asking first-time voters to dedicate their vote to those who carried out the Balakot air strike continue to be under the examination of the Election Commission to determine whether they violate its directive against using the armed forces in their campaign, sources said on Friday, 12 April 2019.

The Commission is understood to have sought certain details from poll authorities in Maharashtra in this regard.

Local poll authorities are learnt to have told the EC that Modi's remarks are prima facie violative of its orders on the armed forces.

Addressing a rally in Ausa in Maharashtra's Latur on 9 April, Modi said, "Can your first vote be dedicated to those who carried out the air strike?"

Modi said:

“I want to tell the first-time voters: can your first vote be dedicated to the veer jawans (valiant soldiers) who carried out the air strike in Pakistan? Can your first vote be dedicated to the veer shaheed (brave martyrs) of Pulwama (terror attack)?”

The EC had sought the report in the context of an advisory issued last month asking parties to desist from indulging in political propaganda involving actions of the armed forces.

"...parties/candidates are advised that their campaigners/candidates should desist, as part of their election campaigning, from indulging in any political propaganda involving activities of defence forces," the Commission had said on 19 March.