New Delhi: The Election Commission (EC) has directed Congress leader Rahul Gandhi to exercise caution in his public statements and adhere to the recent advisory issued by the commission. Acting on a directive from the Delhi High Court in December last year, the EC urged Gandhi to be mindful of his remarks about other leaders and to follow the guidelines outlined for star campaigners and political figures during election campaigns.
Last year, the EC issued a notice to Gandhi after he used derogatory terms such as "panauti" (bad omen) and "pickpocket" to refer to the Prime Minister. Responding to a plea filed in the Delhi High Court regarding Gandhi's remarks made in November 2023, the court criticised his comments as being "not in good taste" and instructed the EC to address the issue.
In compliance with the court's directive, the EC has advised Gandhi to exercise greater care and discretion in his future public statements. This advisory, dated March 1, emphasises that parties, candidates, and star campaigners will face severe consequences for any violations of the Model Code of Conduct, rather than just moral reprimands.
Earlier, the poll panel had issued a notice to Gandhi on November 23 regarding his speeches during campaign rallies for the Assembly elections in Rajasthan. During one such rally, Gandhi accused the Prime Minister of distracting the public while industrialist Gautam Adani allegedly took advantage of the situation to benefit financially, likening the situation to that of a pickpocket operation.
The court's intervention followed a petition highlighting various statements by Gandhi, including his reference to the Prime Minister as "panauti".
