Election Commission gives clean chit to PM Modi's speech, says 'Mission Shakti' address did not violate moral code of conduct

Election Commission gave a clean chit to Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his address to the nation after the success of 'Mission Shakti'. The poll panel had set up a committee to examine whether Modi's speech broke the modal code of conduct which is in force for Lok Sabha polls. EC said there was no violation of modal code in PM's speech. 

PM Modi had addressed the nation to announce the successful test of anti-satellite missile (A-SAT) in his address to the nation on Wednesday. In his address, Prime Minister Modi announced that India had demonstrated anti-satellite missile capability by shooting down a live satellite, describing it as a rare achievement that puts the country in an exclusive club of space superpowers. 

Opposition parties alleged that the PM's address was a violation of the model code of conduct and demanded that EC take action in this regard. 

Read: After PM Modi's Interview To Republic Media Network, Arvind Kejriwal's AAP Scurries To Election Commission To File A Complaint. Details Here

Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday gave his first election interview, speaking on a wide range of topics with Republic Media Network Editor-in-Chief Arnab Goswami. Immediately after the interview, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) approached the Election Commission of India (EC) alleging Prime Minister Narendra Modi violated the Moral Code of Conduct after he made comments concerning IAF's Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman.

Arvind Kejriwal's party's legal cell has written a letter, suggesting that PM Modi's reference of Wing Commandor Abhinandan during his exclusive interview with Republic Media Network, and the BJP using his comments on its official Twitter handle, goes against the EC's Moral Code of Conduct.

The Prime Minister had referred to the IAF pilot's name to slam the Opposition for playing politics, and stated that the Congress and other political parties failed to stay united with the country at that very moment.

"You would know, when Abhinandan's incident happened, all Indian political parties should have united and said that we are proud of Indian forces that an F-16 was shot down. Instead, they went on saying 'when will Abhinandan return? When will Abhinandan return?' within 2 hours," the Prime Minister had said during the interview.