Did PM Modi cross the Model Code line?

That was BJP leader Narendra Modi campaigning against the opposition at an election rally.

And this was PM Modi’s address to the nation. 

Spot the difference? Because I couldn't. 

That is exactly the issue.

One was clearly a campaign speech. The other was delivered as an official address via state-funded platforms while the Model Code of Conduct was in force.

And yet, the tone, the targets, and the messaging did not really change.

Let’s be clear – the Prime Minister is speaking during an election, so he is speaking as a political leader and using the weight of his office.

But that is a line which is not supposed to blur during an election. It is not optional. It is central to how elections are supposed to function. 

And that is exactly what the Election Commission of India is meant to safeguard, ensuring that state resources are not used to tilt the field.

The ECI is already under scrutiny for how it is handling the Special Intensive Revision of voter rolls in West Bengal, where lakhs of people have been deleted from the rolls, and they are struggling to be added back.

So, this is not just about one speech. It is about how the referee, which is the Election Commission of India, is responding.

Let me explain.

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Produced by Megha Mukundan, Script by Pooja Prasanna, Camera by Ajay R, Edit by Nikhil Sekhar ET.