Thiruvananthapuram, 16th April. The Election Commission (EC) has issued a “strict warning” to Congress leader Shashi Tharoor after finding his remarks against BJP’s Rajeev Chandrasekhar in a TV interview in violation of the Model Code of Conduct. The EC cautioned Tharoor against making “unverified allegations” in the future.
The warning from the EC followed complaints by the BJP’s Election Legal Convener and the NDA’s Election Committee Convener, alleging that Tharoor’s statements in the interview were unsubstantiated accusations against Chandrasekhar, who is contesting against Tharoor from Thiruvananthapuram Lok Sabha constituency.
Tharoor denied directly mentioning Chandrasekhar or his party in the interview, claiming his remarks were general observations conveyed to him by people. However, the EC deemed his contention as “untenable,” stating that the accusations made in the interview were clearly directed at Chandrasekhar.
While the EC found no evidence of Tharoor appealing to caste, communal, or religious feelings, it emphasized that his statements violated the Model Code of Conduct due to their gravity and lack of substantiation.
In its order issued on April 12, the EC directed the TV channel to refrain from broadcasting the contentious part of the interview until the Model Code of Conduct is in force and to halt any other form of publication of the disputed segment.
Rajeev Chandrasekhar, Union Minister of State for Information Technology and Electronics, had previously sent a legal notice to Tharoor, demanding an immediate withdrawal of the allegations and an unconditional public apology. The notice also urged Tharoor to refrain from defaming Chandrasekhar in the future.
