In flight announcement naming PM Modi violation of poll code, says Jairam Ramesh

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Congress leader Jairam Ramesh

New Delhi, (Asian independent) Congress leader Jairam Ramesh on Wednesday objected to the flight announcement by IndiGo cabin crew mentioning the name of Prime Minister Narendra Modi in an appeal to vote, saying it is a clear cut violation of the model code of conduct as there was no mention of Election Commission.

In a post on X, the party’s General Secretary, Communication, said: “Last week, I took a flight from IndiGo to Aizawl and from there back to Delhi. Announcements were made by cabin crew on both sides. In which the leadership of Prime Minister ‘Narendra Modi ji’ was being mentioned regarding some routine and very minor things. A vote appeal was being made immediately after one of these announcements. In which passengers were being asked to vote in the upcoming assembly elections.

“The point to be noted here is that there was no mention of the Election Commission in this announcement. This is a clear violation of the model code of conduct.”

“Never before has a Prime Minister stooped to this level to save his deteriorating image, especially before crucial elections, in order to remain in the public eye. Clearly, there is no limit to the insecurities of this person, the sycophancy of the Civil Aviation Minister and the cowardice of the airline that did this. Thankfully, the other airline flight I took to Raipur today did not stoop to that level. It is good to see that some corporates are still following fair processes despite pressure from the Modi government,” he added.

Voting for the 40-member Mizoram Assembly is scheduled on November 7 and counting of votes will take place on December 3. The Congress, which is hoping to return to power in the northeastern state, is facing a triple corner fight with the ruling MNF and the ZPM.