Lok Sabha polls top updates: Choose between ‘vote jihad’ and ‘Ram rajya’, PM Modi tells voters

Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Tuesday said that the voters will have to choose between “vote jihad”, which he alleged that the Opposition Congress was promoting, and a “Ram Rajya”, or the utopian reign of the Hindu deity Ram.

In West Bengal, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Tuesday alleged that the Model Code of Conduct has turned into the “Modi Code of Conduct” as the Election Commission does not take against the speeches made by the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders during election campaigns.

Here’s a look at today’s top developments:

1. Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Madhya Pradesh’s Khargone district on Tuesday said that India today stood at “an important turning point in history”, The Print reported. “You [voters] have to decide whether ‘vote jihad’ will continue in India or ‘Ram Rajya’ will,” he said. He also asked whether “vote jihad” could be accepted in a democracy. The prime minister was referring to Samajwadi Party leader Maria Alam’s remarks in April. Alam had allegedly asked Muslim voters at a rally to launch a “vote jihad” to remove the current government. The term “jihad” in Islam is meant to denote an effort or struggle. The Uttar Pradesh Police registered a case against Alam and Congress leader Salman Khurshid, her uncle, who was also at the gathering.
2. Chief of Haryana Congress unit Udai Bhan claimed on Tuesday that three Independent MLAs have withdrawn their support to the BJP government in the state, reported PTI. According to Hindustan Times the three MLAs are: Randhir Golan from Pundri, Dharampal Gonder from Nilokheri, and Sombir Singh Sangwan from Dadri. They announced their decision during a press conference and extended support to the Congress.
3. West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the Election Commission had turned a blind to BJP leaders making “hate-filled speeches” during campaigning, PTI reported. “The Election Commission’s Model Code of Conduct has turned out to be a mockery and should be rechristened as ‘Modi code of conduct’,” she said at a rally in Purulia district. “But we will continue to flag every incident of violation of rights of citizens of this country.” She also claimed that the Hindutva party only considered themselves as Hindus and had no regard for other communities.
4. Actor Shekar Suman and his wife, former Congress leader Radhika Khera, on Tuesday joined the BJP at its headquarters in New Delhi amid the ongoing elections. Suman and Khera joined the Hindutva party in the presence BJP national general secretary Vinod Tawde and party leader Anil Baluni. Khera had recently resigned from the Congress two days ago after an altercation with another leader at the party’s Chhattisgarh office, The Hindu reported.

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