New Delhi: In a strong objection to Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s plan to meditate and observe a “maun vrat” (vow of silence ie started on May 30), the Congress party has approached the Election Commission (EC).
The meditation, set to take place at the Vivekananda Rock Memorial in Kanyakumari, will continue until June 1, the final day of the Lok Sabha election campaign’s silent period.
Even before the Prime Minister began his meditation, Congress raised concerns, demanding that the EC intervene to prevent what they saw as a violation of the model code of conduct.
A delegation comprising Randeep Singh Surjewala, Abhishek Manu Singhvi, and Naseer Hussain submitted a memorandum to the EC, urging it to stop the meditation or ensure it is not used for political purposes.
Abhishek Manu Singhvi, who was part of the Congress delegation, told the media, “We have told the Election Commission that Prime Minister Narendra Modi should start the ‘maun vrat’ on the evening of June 1, after 24 or 48 hours. But if he insists on starting it tomorrow, it should be prevented from being broadcast by print or audio-visual media.”
The Congress memorandum claimed that the Prime Minister’s meditation at such a culturally significant location could be a strategy to circumvent the 48-hour silence period and unfairly influence voters. They argued that this act violates both the Representation of the People Act and the model code of conduct.
The party has also requested that the EC ensure the meditation is not broadcast, telecast, or printed during the silent period. In addition to this issue, the Congress delegation flagged 27 other alleged violations of the model code by the BJP in recent days. The EC is now tasked with addressing these concerns and maintaining the integrity of the election process.
Notably, Prime Minister Narendra Modi is meditating at the same site where Swami Vivekananda once meditated. In the evening, Modi also visited and offered prayers at the Bhagavathi Devi Amman Temple in Kanyakumari. He travelled from Thiruvananthapuram to Kanniyakumari by helicopter and then took a ferry to reach Dhyan Mandapam.