EC Issues Warning to Charanjeet Singh Channi

EC Issues Warning to Charanjeet Singh Channi

Chandigarh: The Election Commission has issued a strict warning to Mr. Charanjeet Singh Channi, former Chief Minister of Punjab and candidate from the Jalandhar Lok Sabha Constituency for the Lok Sabha Elections 2024, for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

Pertinently, during a press conference on May 5, 2024, Mr. Channi had remarked that the Poonch Terror Attack on May 4, targeting a convoy of Indian Armed Forces, was a staged ‘stunt’.

A spokesperson from the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab stated that Mr. Channi was asked to provide an explanation by the District Election Officer-cum-Deputy Commissioner of Jalandhar. The Commission has found his response unsatisfactory, deeming it a violation of the MCC being violation of the clause 2 of Annexure-1, General Conduct, of the Manual on Model Code of Conduct, which provides:-“Criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work. Parties and Candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties. Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided.” “The political parties and leaders shall not make false statements, utterances without factual basis aimed at misleading the voters. Criticism of other parties or their workers on the basis of unverified allegations or on distortions shall be avoided.”

The EC has advised and warned Mr. Channi against repeating such violations in the future and emphasized the importance of adhering to the MCC guidelines in both letter and spirit.

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