New Delhi, April 22: Congress leader T.N. Prathapan has filed a petition in the Supreme Court regarding Prime Minister’s address broadcasted on Doordarshan and Parliament TV on April 18 at 8:30 PM.
The petitioner claims this address violates the Model Code of Conduct and has requested the Supreme Court to direct the Election Commission to conduct a fair investigation and take appropriate legal action.
The petition also seeks an order for the Ministry of Information and Broadcasting to remove the Prime Minister’s address from all its platforms.
Prathapan alleges that government-funded television channels were misused to criticize opposition parties during an active election period. He argues that the Prime Minister’s comments, which named opposition parties, fall under political rhetoric.
Using government-funded platforms to convey political messages during elections is considered an abuse of government machinery and is deemed corrupt under Section 123(7) of the Representation of the People Act.
The petitioner noted that the broadcast occurred while the Model Code of Conduct was in effect for the Kerala Assembly elections, thus violating provisions against using public resources for electoral gain.
The petition also states that a complaint regarding this matter was submitted to the Election Commission, but no action was taken.
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