PM Modi gets EC’s sixth clean chit for his Gujarat speech

New Delhi, May 04: The Election Commission on Saturday gave a sixth clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi after it found his April 21 speech in Patan, Gujarat did not violate the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

The commission concluded that Modi has not violated the model code or its advisory on armed forces in his speech in Gujarat's Patan city on April 21.

The EC said, "The matter has been examined in detail in accordance with the extant advisories, provisions of the Model Code of Conduct. After examination, Commission is of the view that in this matter no such violation of the extant advisories/provisions is attracted."

In his Patan speech, Modi had reportedly said that he had warned Pakistan of "consequences" if it did not return Indian Air Force pilot Abhinandan Varthaman, who was captured after an aerial dogfight with Pakistani F-16s that had violated Indian airspace and targeted military installations in February.

Pakistan released Varthaman on the night of March 1. Modi also spoke of a US claim that India had kept 12 missiles ready.

So far, the EC has cleared six speeches of Modi, two of Shah and one of Congress chief Rahul Gandhi.

Gandhi had been issued a show cause notice for his Madhya Pradesh speech in which he had reportedly said that the government enacted a new law which allows tribals to be shot.

On March 19, the EC had issued an advisory asking parties not to invoke armed forces in their political campaign.