"Thoroughly Misconceived": Delhi High Court Rejects Plea Seeking to Bar PM Modi from Contesting Polls for Six Years

The Delhi High Court on Monday dismissed a plea seeking to disqualify Prime Minister Narendra Modi from contesting elections for six years for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct by allegedly seeking votes in the name of "god and place of worship" during his recent speech at Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. The high court said that the plea is devoid of merits.

The court was of the view that the plea is “thoroughly misconceived” since the petitioner had approached the court when the Election Commission was yet to take a call on his representation seeking similar relief. “Petitioner presupposes that there has been a violation of MCC. This is completely unjustified. The plea being devoid of merits is dismissed,” a bench of justice Sachin Datta said in the order.

The plea, filed by lawyer Anand S Jondhale, alleged that Modi violated the Model Code of Conduct by soliciting votes in the name of religious deities and places of worship during a speech in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh. Justice Sachin Datta dismissed the plea, stating that it was "thoroughly misconceived" as the Election Commission (EC) had not yet made a decision on Jondhale's representation regarding the matter.

Advocate Siddhant Kumar, representing the EC, assured the court that the commission would review Jondhale's complaint in accordance with the law. Kumar emphasized that the EC receives such complaints regularly and will process them accordingly. Jondhale's complaint to the EC alleged that Modi's speech on April 9 included appeals for votes in the name of Hindu and Sikh deities and their places of worship, along with comments favoring Muslims.

The petitioner urged the EC to disqualify Modi from elections for six years under the Representation of Peoples Act and to prevent him from seeking votes in the name of religion. Jondhale argued that Modi's speeches had the potential to incite religious and caste-based hatred among voters, violating the Model Code of Conduct. Despite filing a complaint with the EC earlier this month, Jondhale claimed that no action had been taken, prompting him to approach the court.