SC directs Election Commission to decide pending cases against Modi, Shah

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Thursday directed the Election Commission to decide all pending cases against Prime Minister Narender Modi and BJP president Amit Shah over poll code violations.

Senior advocate Abhishek Manu Singhvi submitted that 11 complaints were filed and after five weeks only two complaints have been decided.

Counsel for the Election Commission Rakesh Dwivedi submitted that of the 11 complaints four are almost decided and the matter should be listed for next Thursday. He further submitted that the complaints were made by taking out a few lines from a speech whereas decisions must be made based on the context.

The transcript of the entire speech, which is often in a local language, needs to be arranged and translated before a decision is made.

The Supreme Court bench headed by Chief Justice Ranjan Gogoi directed all the matters be decided at the latest by the next date of hearing, 6 May.

The petition was filed by Congress MP Sushmita Dev against the Election Commission for its inaction against the list of complaints filed by Congress against the Modi and Shah.