Why Delhi High Court adjourned plea seeking 6-year poll ban on PM Narendra Modi

The Delhi High Court on Friday adjourned the hearing in a petition seeking a six-year ban on Prime Minister (PM) Narendra Modi from contesting elections, for allegedly violating the model code of conduct (MCC) by seeking votes in the name of religion for the upcoming Lok Sabha polls [Anand S Jondhale v Election Commission of India & Anr]..Justice Sachin Datta adjourned the plea since he was heading a tribunal under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act (UAPA). The Court staff informed that Justice Datta would not be holding regular court today and said that the case will be heard on April 29, Monday..The petition filed by a lawyer named Anand S Jondhale has referred to a speech delivered by Modi in Pilibhit, Uttar Pradesh on April 9 where the Prime Minister "not only sought votes in the name of Hindu and Sikh deities and their places of worship but also made comments against opposite political parties as favoring Muslims".Jondhale said that during his speech, PM Modi appealed to the voters to vote for BJP in the name of "Hindu deities and Hindu place of worships as well as Sikh deities and Sikh place of worship.""This statement of the Respondent No.2 [Modi] creating hatred by words, either spoken or written, or by signs or by visible representations or otherwise, promotes or attempts to promote, on grounds of religion, race, place of birth, residence, language, caste or community or any other ground whatsoever, disharmony or feelings of enmity, hatred or ill-will between different religious, racial, language or regional groups or castes or communities," the plea said..The petitioner stated that even though he approached the Election Commission of India (ECI) with a prayer to register FIR against the Prime Minister under Sections 153A (promoting enmity between groups) of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and to disqualify Modi from contesting elections for six years, the Commission took no action.Jondhale further argued that the PM Modi violated the Model Code of Conduct mentioned in Compendium of Instructions Volume-III under Rules General Conduct-I(1) and (3).The provision states that no party or candidate shall include in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes or communities, religious or linguistic."It further says that there shall be no appeal to caste or community feelings for securing votes. Mosque, Churches, Temples or other places of worship shall not be used as forum for election propaganda," Jondhale contended.