Election Commission bars Yogi Adityanath and Mayawati from campaigning for making communal speeches

Yogi Adityanath (L) and Mayawati (R)

The Election Commission of India on Monday had barred UP Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath and BSP supremo Mayawati and from campaigning in elections for two days and three days respectively from April 16, for making a communally provocative speech.

https://twitter.com/ANINewsUP/status/1117716836739682304?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw
The Election Commission has banned UP CM Yogi Adityanath for 72 hours and BSP chief Mayawati for 48 hours starting from 6 am tomorrow, for violating Model Code of Conduct by making objectionable statements in their speeches.

The Election Commission of India has also found BSP Chief Mayawati to have made a communal appeal for votes. The ban is imposed invoking powers of ECI under Article 324 of the Constitution of India, after observing that the leaders had violated the Model Code of Conduct.

At a public rally at Deoband on April 7, Mayawati was openly polarising votes by asking Muslims not to split their vote between Congress and SP-BSP alliance and rather consolidate their vote in favour of the alliance candidate. The Commission had noted her statements and later found that she had appealed to secure votes on religious lines violating the Model Code of Conduct.

The ECI had also issued a show-cause notice to Yogi Adityanath after he had allegedly used the word ‘virus’ in reference to Indian Union Muslim League, and for invoking the name of ‘Bajrang Bali’ during a public rally at Meerut on April 9. he had said that if the Congress, SP and the BSP had faith in “Ali”, then BJP also have faith in “Bajrang Bali”.

Earlier, the Election Commission had warned UP CM to be careful with his choice of words, as it had found that his ‘Modiji ki Sena’ comment had violated the MCC.

OpIndia Staff: Staff reporter at OpIndia