The Delhi High Court dismissed a petition on Monday that sought immediate action against Prime Minister Narendra Modi and other candidates for allegedly making “communally divisive speeches” in violation of the Model Code of Conduct during the Lok Sabha elections. The petition had asked the Election Commission of India to take prompt legal action, including filing FIRs against candidates who delivered hate speeches breaching the MCC.

The plea specifically mentioned Prime Minister Modi’s speeches in Banswara, Rajasthan on April 21, where he spoke about the Congress party distributing people’s wealth to those with “more children” and “infiltrators”, and in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh on April 24, where he accused the Congress of providing religious-based reservations. The petition also highlighted tweets by BJP Chief JP Nadda and a speech by Union Minister Anurag Thakur in Himachal Pradesh on April 27.

Justice Sachin Datta dismissed the plea, stating that it lacked merit and was “misconceived”.

Case Title: Shaheen Abdulla & Ors. v. Election Commission of India