Movie on Modi released statewide, Cong cries foul

According to the Congress, posters of the movie carry a picture of the film’s protagonist bearing close resemblance to Modi and its subject matter itself, amounts to campaigning for him. The Congress said that the message in the film is to depict the “biographical” life of Modi, which cannot be permitted during the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) being in place. In its letter to Rao, the Congress has also raised questions over the release of the movie in a popular mutliplex in the city, which never screens Gujarati films.

The letter states, “The movie has been released during the time of the elections, along with Modi’s posters and at a multiplex, ‘Inox’, which has never previously screened any Gujarati movie. It can be concluded with certainty that this is an open attempt to campaign for Modi’s candidature by influencing voters of Vadodara.”

Congress spokesperson Shailesh Amin, who is also the election agent of Madhusudan Mistry, said that the movie was in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Amin said, “We have brought to the notice of the commissioner of police too that the movie amounts to the violation of the poll code. We are waiting for the district election officer to take action against it. We have demanded that the entire expense of this movie should be billed to the candidate expense account of Modi. The owner and management of the multiplex should also be booked for violating the MCC.”

When contacted, District Election Officer Vinod Rao said that he was yet to see the Congress’ complaint. “We will examine their complaint. I have not yet seen the letter of the party about this movie,” Rao said.