Don't ban live telecast of Narendra Modi's rallies, BJP asks election Commission

After the Mahagathbandhan comprising Janata Dal (United), Congress, and Rashtriya Janata Dal approached the Election Commission on Sunday seeking a ban on live telecasts of Narendra Modi's election rallies, the BJP has countered the move. The party has requested the EC to permit live screening of the prime minister's rallies.

BJP intervenes:

"The Commission assured us that the live telecast will not be banned," Union Minister and senior BJP leader Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi claimed after meeting officials from the Election Commission on Monday.

Apparently, the BJP delegation told the Commission that by banning live telecast, voters of constituencies, which are yet to go to polls, will not be able to listen to Modi, who is leading BJP's election campaign in Bihar. A memorandum submitted by the BJP has alleged that by seeking a ban on live telecast, the Grand Alliance is attacking democratic values.

Meanwhile, the party has also attacked both Nitish Kumar and Lalu Prasad Yadav after a sting video of JD-U politician Awadhesh Prasad Kushwaha accepting a bribe surfaced one day before the polls.

Read: Modi attacks Nitish, Lalu over Bihar minister's sting video

Here's what the Opposition had to say on Modi's rallies:

Ajay Maken: We have brought this to the notice of EC and requested to ban campaigning 48 hours before polling for first phase of Bihar polls ends.

JD-U's Pavan Verma: First phase of Bihar polls is on 12th October, is it a co-incidence that the PM begins his tour in the neighbouring area on same day?

Also read: 49 per cent polling recorded till 3 pm in first phase of Bihar elections

It is hardly surprising to note BJP's stance on Election Commission's moral code of conduct that comes into force during polling days. The party had on similar instances, during the Lok Sabha elections in 2014, violated the Election Commission's mandate during Modi's rallies. Meanwhile, Modi is scheduled to address a rally in Bhabua near Sasaram later this evening.

With agency inputs