Allahabad HC issues notice to Modi

The Allahabad High Court on Friday issued notice to Prime Minister Narendra Modi on a petition filed by Congress leader Ajai Rai challenging his election. The notice was issued by Justice V K Shukla after hearing Rai’s petition. Modi has been directed to file his reply within six weeks and the petition would come for further hearing on September 5. The court has directed that the notice be served on Modi through ordinary and registered post as well as by publishing it in newspapers. Rai, in his petition, has contended that Modi had not furnished all the information pertaining to his wife Jashoda Ben in his nomination papers, which he pleaded was violation of the guidelines issued by the Election Commission (EC). He has contended that Modi also did not furnish the detail of income of his wife though as per the EC guidelines no column could be left blank in the nomination papers. The Congress leader has also submitted that Modi had spent over and above the expenditure limit fixed by the EC. He has claimed that crores were spent on rallies for Modi in which a large number of people were "brought from outside”. He also claimed that caps, sarees and other articles were distributed among the participants at the rallies. Rai has also claimed that a huge amount of money was spent in Modi’s election campaign on vehicles and on putting up guests at luxury hotels in the city.   - DHNS