Nothing wrong with repeat telecast of Modi's Madison Square Garden speech: Election Commission

NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has found nothing with the repeat telecast of Prime Minister Narendra Modi's speech at the Madison Square Garden and is unlikely to act on Congress' complaint, top sources told ET on Monday.

According to officials, who did not wish to be identified, the Maharashtra Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) informed the poll panel on Monday that the repeat telecast of the speech was aired with the permission of its media monitoring committee (MMC). The MMC is responsible for “previewing, scrutinizing and verifying” all advertisements by contesting candidates and political parties before its goes to print or electronic media.

"We had sought a report from the State CEO. The programme has been pre-certified by the MMC of the State CEO and so there's no reason for us to act against the BJP," said a senior EC officer. The EC will soon communicate this decision formally.

The Congress had complained to the poll panel accusing the BJP of misusing official machinery for electoral gains by sponsoring a repeat telecast of Modi’s speech at Madison Square Garden on several Marathi channels on Sunday night. The development will come as a blow to the Congress as both its complaints regarding Modi’s speech have been found frivolous by the EC. The party had earlier complained against the PM’s address to the nation on Dussehra as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.