Plea in Supreme Court seeks ECI action against BJP for hate speech during Lok Sabha election campaign

A petition has been filed in the Supreme Court seeking directives to the Election Commission of India (ECI) to address hate speeches made during election campaigns, specifically those made by members of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) (Dr. Emani Anantha Satyanarayana Sarma & Anr v. Election Commission of India)..The petitioners in this case are an ex-IAS officer who was engaged as Secretary in the Union Ministries of Power and Finance, and a Professor and former Dean of the Indian Institute of Management, Bangalore..The plea has cited specific instances of hate speech, including the following:1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 21, 2024, and the Union Minister of Information and Broadcasting, and Youth Affairs and Sports Anurag Singh Thakur on April 27, 2024, have used hate speech demonising and stereotyping the Muslim community which was relayed by different mediums across the country.2. On April 30, 2024, the Bharatiya Janata Party posted an animated video on its official Instagram account which repeated the hate speech used by the Prime Minister Narendra Modi on April 21 and the same was reposted by its members.3. A similar video was uploaded on May 6, 2024, on X, formerly Twitter, by Shri Arvind Dharmapuri, sitting Member of Parliament belonging to Bharatiya Janata Party, Nizamabad, Telangana..The plea filed through Advocate on Record Anas Tanwir states that pursuant to Article 324 of the Constitution, the Election Commission "possesses exclusive and unchallengeable authority to uphold the paramount objective of ensuring free and fair elections.".Though directives were issued to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and other such opposition parties, no such notices were issued to the BJP, the plea points out."Election Commission of India issued directives to the Aam Aadmi Party mandating alterations to their campaign anthem, citing perceived insinuations against the Bharatiya Janata Party and the judiciary. Additionally, Shri K. Chandrasekhar Rao, the Founder of Bharat Rashtra Samithi, was barred from campaigning due to alleged derogatory remarks made against the Indian National Congress. Notably, these interventions were initiated suo motu by the Election Commission," reads the plea..On these grounds, it is prayed that the Court direct the ECI to take action BJP members for violations of the Model Code of Conduct. Also prayed for is a direction to the Commission conduct an investigation into the hate speeches of Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Union Minister Anurag Singh Thakur.