EC Issues Warning to Charanjeet Singh Channi
Chandigarh, May 23: The Election Commission ( EC) has issued a strict warning to Charanjeet Singh Channi, former Chief Minister of Punjab and candidate from the Jalandhar Lok Sabha Constituency for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
Pertinently, during a press conference on May 5, 2024, Mr. Channi had remarked that the Poonch Terror Attack on May 4, targeting a convoy of Indian Armed Forces, was a staged ‘stunt’.
A spokesperson from the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab stated that the District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar asked Mr. Channi to provide an explanation. The Commission found his response unsatisfactory, deeming it a violation of the MCC.
This violation relates to clause 2 of Annexure-1, General Conduct, of the Manual on Model Code of Conduct, which states, “When criticizing other political parties, confine remarks to their policies and programs, past record, and work.”
Parties and Candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties.Avoid criticizing other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion.
“The political parties and leaders shall not make false statements, utterances without factual basis aimed at misleading the voters. Avoid criticizing other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortions.
The EC has advised and warned Channi against repeating such violations in the future and emphasized the importance of adhering to the MCC guidelines in both letter and spirit.
