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Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday alleged that the Election Commission of India is functioning under the influence of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Home Minister Amit Shah, claiming poll body's actions undermine the Constitution.
In a post on X, Ramesh said, "That the Election Commission dances to the tune of the PM and HM has been obvious for some time. After masterminding vote chori in very many lakhs - especially in West Bengal - today it has given fresh evidence of its functioning as an attached office of the Home Ministry. The EC is a Constitutional body. But its behaviour is an assault on the Constitution and a disgrace for which this CEC bears the heaviest responsibility." Meanwhile, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Wednesday issued a stern 24-hour ultimatum to Congress President Mallikarjun Kharge, demanding an explanation for his controversial "terrorist" remark directed at Prime Minister Narendra Modi during the high-decibel Tamil Nadu Assembly election campaign. The move follows a high-level delegation of the BJP, including Union Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Kiren Rijiju, meeting with the full commission to demand "strictest action" for what they termed a gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The timing of the ultimatum is critical, as Tamil Nadu is set to head to the polls on April 23, 2026. With the state in the final hours of the "silence period" before voting, the ECI is under pressure to ensure that the campaign remains issue-based. The controversy erupted on the last day of Tamil Nadu election campaigning, when the Congress President criticised the AIADMK for supporting the BJP and labelled PM Modi a 'terrorist who does not believe in equality.'When questioned on the choice of words, Kharge quickly defended himself, claiming that he meant to say that the PM was terrorising his political opponents."He (PM Modi) is terrorising people and political parties. I never said he is a terrorist...What I mean, I want to clarify, is that Modi always threatens. The institutions like ED, I-T and CBI are in his hands. He wants to take delimitation also into his hands," Kharge said. The clarification did little to calm the situation as the BJP filed a "strong complaint" with the Election Commission over Kharge's remarks and also sought an apology from him. (ANI)
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