Congress leader TN Prathapan has approached the Supreme Court alleging violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) over the broadcast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s April 18 speech by state-run channels Doordarshan and Sansad TV.
The former Member of Parliament (MP) alleged that the speech was delivered during an active election period in Kerala when the MCC was in force. It alleged that the use of publicly funded broadcasters to air a political speech targeting opposition parties amounted to misuse of official machinery.
The petition stated that during the speech, the Prime Minister referred to and criticised several opposition parties, including the Congress, Trinamool Congress, DMK and Samajwadi Party, while urging voters to hold them accountable. It argued that such messaging on government-controlled platforms created an uneven playing field during elections.
The plea further claimed that this conduct fell within the definition of a corrupt practice under Section 123(7) of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which barred the use of government machinery for electoral advantage.
It also stated that a complaint was submitted to the Election Commission of India, but no action was taken. The petition argued that this inaction amounted to a failure to discharge constitutional duties under Article 324, which empowered the Commission to ensure free and fair elections.
The April 18 address came after the defeat of a constitutional amendment Bill in the Lok Sabha linked to the implementation of women’s reservation in legislatures. The Bill was part of a broader legislative package that also included proposals for delimitation and changes to laws governing Union Territories.
Opposition parties had supported women’s reservation but opposed linking it to delimitation. Several leaders, particularly from southern states, raised concerns that delimitation based on population could reduce their representation in Parliament.
The petitioner claimed that the Prime Minister’s speech blamed opposition parties for the failure of the Bill and was used to influence voters during the election period.
Prathapan, who is contesting the Kerala Assembly elections, sought directions to the Election Commission to take action for the alleged violation of the MCC and provisions of the Representation of the People Act.
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