​Invidious speech: on the PM’s speech and the Election Commission of India

​Invidious speech: on the PM’s speech and the Election Commission of India

The Election Commission of India’s inaction (निष्क्रियता, कार्य न करना) on the Prime Minister’s violations (उल्लंघन, अतिक्रमण) of model code is troubling (चिंताजनक, परेशान करने वाला)

While Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s address (संबोधन, भाषण) to the nation on April 18 differed from (से भिन्न होना, अलग होना) a speech (भाषण) he made at a similar election-eve (चुनाव-पूर्व अवधि) juncture (समय-बिंदु, महत्वपूर्ण मोड़) in 2019, it was nonetheless (फिर भी, तथापि) problematic. In 2019, following (के बाद, के पश्चात) a successful anti-satellite missile test, private news channels aired (प्रसारित करना, प्रसारण करना) a speech by Mr. Modi extolling (अत्यधिक प्रशंसा करना) the mission (अभियान) and his government’s commitment (प्रतिबद्धता, वचनबद्धता) to the country’s technological prowess (exceptional skill, expertise, or ability in the field of technology; technical mastery, engineering expertise, technological capability, tech advancement) even as the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) (आदर्श आचार संहिता) was in force (currently valid or in effect; operational, effective, active, binding) ahead of the general election. Late last week (towards the end of the previous week; recently, past week end, in the previous days, closing of last week), Mr. Modi’s transgression (an act that goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct; offense, crime, wrongdoing, breach) was greater as Doordarshan and Sansad TV broadcast (to transmit programs or information by radio or television; air, transmit, telecast, disseminate) his speech even as (at the very same time as; while, exactly when, at the time that, just as) he accused (to claim that someone has done something wrong or illegal; charge, blame, indict, hold responsible) the Congress, DMK, Trinamool Congress and Samajwadi Party of committing the “sin of foeticide (the grave moral offense of intentionally terminating a fetus; crime of abortion, unlawful termination, moral offense of feticide, unethical destruction of a fetus)” after they blocked (to prevent movement or progress in something; obstruct, hinder, impede, stall) the combined women’s reservation and delimitation Bills (a proposed legislation to constitute a Delimitation Commission tasked with redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on updated population data), and suggested (to put forward for consideration; propose, recommend, indicate, advise) that women voters would punish them electorally in the Tamil Nadu and West Bengal elections on April 23. Thus far (up to this point or time; until now, so far, to date, hitherto), the Opposition in Parliament as well as numerous (many, plentiful, abundant, countless) academics and activists (a person who campaigns to bring about political or social change; campaigner, advocate, reformist, champion) have written to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC) urging that the Election Commission of India (ECI) should sanction (to impose a penalty on someone for breaking a rule or law; penalize, punish, discipline, reprimand) Mr. Modi for violating the MCC. In a familiar but also increasingly (progressively, more and more, growingly, continuously) dispiriting (disheartening, depressing, discouraging, demoralizing) turn, the ECI has yet to respond (has not provided an answer or taken action so far; unresponsive, pending reply, unacknowledged, awaiting response). It is expected to act reasonably (to a fair or sensible degree; logically, sensibly, fairly, adequately) quickly, as it has against Opposition parties.

Since the facts are not in dispute (subject to disagreement or argument; debated, contested, argued over, in question) in this instance and the ECI’s reluctance (unwillingness or disinclination to do something; hesitation, unwillingness, resistance, foot-dragging) to sanction the Prime Minister has become well-known (known widely or thoroughly; famous, recognized, familiar, prominent), it is hard to believe that the delay is benign (gentle and kindly, or not harmful in effect; harmless, innocent, safe, gentle). The constitutional body (referring to the Election Commission of India, a permanent and independent institution established by the Constitution to conduct and regulate elections) allowed the Prime Minister’s monthly radio programme to continue broadcasting during the State polls in 2015 and 2017 and permitted NaMo TV to air in 2019 after prior approval of its contents. In 2024, the ECI issued a notice regarding (with respect to or concerning; concerning, about, relating to, in connection with) a controversial speech by Mr. Modi in Rajasthan, but addressed (to direct a spoken or written communication to a particular person or audience; direct, aim, send, communicate) it to the BJP president rather than (instead of or in place of; instead of, as opposed to, more than, preferably to) to him. After the 2019 missile test, critics argued that the ECI’s refusal to sanction had created a loophole (an ambiguity or inadequacy in the law or a set of rules; ambiguity, flaw, evasion, escape clause) whereby major announcements could be framed (to formulate or present something in a particular way; formulate, present, structure, shape) as ‘official (authorized, formal, legitimate, sanctioned)’, thus having an electoral impact while affording (to provide an opportunity or facility; provide, offer, grant) the ECI plausible (seeming reasonable or probable; credible, believable, reasonable, likely) deniability. As the letter to the CEC specified, Mr. Modi’s violation is clear (easy to perceive, understand, or interpret; obvious, evident, apparent, unmistakable) if he delivered his address without the ECI’s prior approval. If the ECI did approve it, it must explain why it saw fit to grant (to agree to give or allow something requested; bestow, award, accord, give) the Prime Minister this precious (of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly; valuable, cherished, prized, invaluable) privilege (a special right, advantage, or immunity granted to a particular person or group; advantage, benefit, prerogative, entitlement), investigate (examine, probe, scrutinize, look into) the speech’s contents, remove it from official platforms, and sanction Mr. Modi. The ECI’s inaction — rendered (to cause to be or become; make, cause to be, leave, turn) more pronounced (very noticeable or marked; noticeable, conspicuous, striking, prominent) by the two States voting on April 23 — only reinforces (to strengthen or support an idea or feeling; strengthen, fortify, bolster, support) its partisan (prejudiced in favor of a particular cause or party; biased, prejudiced, one-sided, sectarian) character, and undermines (weaken, compromise, sabotage, subvert) the fairness of polls as well as its own credibility (the quality of being trusted and believed in; reliability, trustworthiness, integrity, validity).

Courtesy: The Hindu

Important Word List With Meaning

1.speech (noun)

Hindi Meaning - भाषण
English Meaning - a formal address or discourse delivered to an audience; address, talk, discourse, statement.

2.inaction (noun)

Hindi Meaning - निष्क्रियता, कार्य न करना
English Meaning - lack of action; idleness, passivity, inertia, non-intervention.

3.violation (noun)

Hindi Meaning - उल्लंघन, अतिक्रमण
English Meaning - the action of breaking or failing to comply with a rule or formal agreement; breach, infringement, contravention, transgression.

4.mission (noun)

Hindi Meaning - अभियान
English Meaning - an important assignment carried out for political, military, or scientific purposes; operation, task, undertaking, assignment.

5.Model Code of Conduct (MCC) (noun)

Hindi Meaning - आदर्श आचार संहिता
English Meaning - a set of guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India to regulate the conduct of political parties and candidates during elections, aimed at ensuring free and fair polling.

6.troubling (adjective)

Hindi Meaning - चिंताजनक, परेशान करने वाला
English Meaning - concerning, worrying, alarming, disturbing.

7.address (noun)

Hindi Meaning - संबोधन, भाषण
English Meaning - a formal speech delivered to an audience; speech, discourse, talk, presentation.

8.differ from (phrasal verb)

Hindi Meaning - से भिन्न होना, अलग होना
English Meaning - to be unlike or dissimilar to something else; contrast with, diverge from, vary from, be distinct from.

9.election-eve (noun)

Hindi Meaning - चुनाव-पूर्व अवधि
English Meaning - the period immediately preceding an election; pre-election period, night before polling, run-up to the election.

10.juncture (noun)

Hindi Meaning - समय-बिंदु, महत्वपूर्ण मोड़
English Meaning - a particular point in events or time; point, moment, stage, period.

11.nonetheless (adverb)

Hindi Meaning - फिर भी, तथापि
English Meaning - in spite of that or nevertheless; however, still, yet, even so.

12.commitment (noun)

Hindi Meaning - प्रतिबद्धता, वचनबद्धता
English Meaning - a dedication or obligation, devotion, pledge, resolve.

13.following (preposition)

Hindi Meaning - के बाद, के पश्चात
English Meaning - coming after or as a result of; after, subsequent to, in the aftermath of, succeeding.

14.air (verb)

Hindi Meaning - प्रसारित करना, प्रसारण करना
English Meaning - to broadcast a program on television or radio; broadcast, transmit, telecast, show.

15.extol (verb)
 
Hindi Meaning - अत्यधिक प्रशंसा करना
English Meaning - to praise enthusiastically; praise highly, eulogize, acclaim, commend.

16.Invidious (adjective)

English Meaning - likely to arouse or incur resentment or anger in others; unpleasant, discriminatory, unfair, unjust, undesirable, resentful, prejudicial, unjustified.

17.problematic (adjective)

English Meaning - constituting or presenting a problem or difficulty; doubtful, questionable, arguable, debatable.

18.anti-satellite (ASAT) missile test (noun)

English Meaning - a strategic military test involving a weapon designed to destroy satellites for tactical purposes.

19.missile (noun)

English Meaning - a self-propelled/rocket-propelled weapon designed to deliver a conventional/nuclear explosive warhead with great accuracy at high speed; projectile.

20.anti-satellite (ASAT) weapon (noun)

English Meaning - Anti-satellite (ASAT) weapons are designed to debilitate and/or destroy satellites that are already in orbit and operational.

21.technological prowess (noun)

English Meaning - exceptional skill, expertise, or ability in the field of technology; technical mastery, engineering expertise, technological capability, tech advancement.

22.even as (phrase)

English Meaning - at the very same time as; while, exactly when, at the time that, just as.

23.in force (phrase)

English Meaning - currently valid or in effect; operational, effective, active, binding.

24.ahead (adverb)

English Meaning - before, in advance, leading up to, previously.

25.late last week (phrase)

English Meaning - towards the end of the previous week; recently, past week end, in the previous days, closing of last week.

26.transgression (noun)

English Meaning - an act that goes against a law, rule, or code of conduct; offense, crime, wrongdoing, breach.

27.broadcast (verb)

English Meaning - to transmit programs or information by radio or television; air, transmit, telecast, disseminate.

28.accuse (verb)

English Meaning - to claim that someone has done something wrong or illegal; charge, blame, indict, hold responsible.

29.sin of foeticide (phrase)

English Meaning - the grave moral offense of intentionally terminating a fetus; crime of abortion, unlawful termination, moral offense of feticide, unethical destruction of a fetus.

30.sin (noun)

English Meaning - offense, crime, wrongdoing, misdeed.

31.foeticide (noun)

English Meaning - the deliberate or illegal killing of a fetus; abortion, termination of pregnancy, destruction of a fetus.

32.block (verb)

English Meaning - to prevent movement or progress in something; obstruct, hinder, impede, stall.

33.women’s reservation bill (noun)

English Meaning - officially the Constitution (106th Amendment) Act, 2023, which mandates the reservation of one-third of all seats in the Lok Sabha and State Legislative Assemblies for women.

34.delimitation Bill (noun)

English Meaning - a proposed legislation to constitute a Delimitation Commission tasked with redrawing the boundaries of parliamentary and assembly constituencies based on updated population data.

35.suggest (verb)

English Meaning - to put forward for consideration; propose, recommend, indicate, advise.

36.thus far (phrase)

English Meaning - up to this point or time; until now, so far, to date, hitherto.

37.the Opposition (noun)

English Meaning - the major political party or coalition of parties opposed to the government in power; rival parties, political opponents, dissenting parties, non-ruling alliance.

38.as well as (phrase)

English Meaning - in addition to; along with, besides, and, together with.

39.numerous (adjective)

English Meaning - many, plentiful, abundant, countless.

40.academic (noun)

English Meaning - a teacher or scholar in a university or institute of higher education; scholar, intellectual, researcher, educator.

41.activist (noun)

English Meaning - a person who campaigns to bring about political or social change; campaigner, advocate, reformist, champion.

42.urge (verb)

English Meaning - to try earnestly or persistently to persuade someone to do something; encourage, press, entreat, implore.

43.sanction (verb)

English Meaning - to impose a penalty on someone for breaking a rule or law; penalize, punish, discipline, reprimand.

44.violate (verb)

English Meaning - to break or fail to comply with a rule or formal agreement; breach, contravene, infringe, defy.

45.increasingly (adverb)

English Meaning - progressively, more and more, growingly, continuously.

46.dispiriting (adjective)

English Meaning - disheartening, depressing, discouraging, demoralizing.

47.turn (noun)

English Meaning - a change in circumstances or the course of events; development, shift, twist, change.

48.yet to respond (phrase)

English Meaning - has not provided an answer or taken action so far; unresponsive, pending reply, unacknowledged, awaiting response.

49.act (verb)

English Meaning - to take action or do something; take steps, intervene.

50.reasonably (adverb)

English Meaning - to a fair or sensible degree; logically, sensibly, fairly, adequately.

51.in dispute (phrase)

English Meaning - subject to disagreement or argument; debated, contested, argued over, in question.

52.reluctance (noun)

English Meaning - unwillingness or disinclination to do something; hesitation, unwillingness, resistance, foot-dragging.

53.well-known (adjective)

English Meaning - known widely or thoroughly; famous, recognized, familiar, prominent.

54.benign (adjective)

English Meaning - gentle and kindly, or not harmful in effect; harmless, innocent, safe, gentle.

55.The constitutional body (noun)

English Meaning - referring to the Election Commission of India, a permanent and independent institution established by the Constitution to conduct and regulate elections.

56.notice (noun)

English Meaning - formal notification or warning about a legal or official matter; warning, notification, announcement, communication.

57.regarding (preposition)

English Meaning - with respect to or concerning; concerning, about, relating to, in connection with.

58.address (verb)

English Meaning - to direct a spoken or written communication to a particular person or audience; direct, aim, send, communicate.

59.rather than (phrase)

English Meaning - instead of or in place of; instead of, as opposed to, more than, preferably to.

60.loophole (noun)

English Meaning - an ambiguity or inadequacy in the law or a set of rules; ambiguity, flaw, evasion, escape clause.

61.whereby (adverb)

English Meaning - by which or through which; by means of which, through which, in which, how.

62.frame (verb)

English Meaning - to formulate or present something in a particular way; formulate, present, structure, shape.

63.official (adjective)

English Meaning - authorized, formal, legitimate, sanctioned.

64.thus (adverb)

English Meaning - as a result of this; therefore, consequently, hence, accordingly.

65.afford (verb)

English Meaning - to provide an opportunity or facility; provide, offer, grant.

66.plausible (adjective)

English Meaning - seeming reasonable or probable; credible, believable, reasonable, likely.

67.deniability (noun)

English Meaning - ability to deny, non-accountability, evasion of blame, immunity from accusation.

68.clear (adjective)

English Meaning - easy to perceive, understand, or interpret; obvious, evident, apparent, unmistakable.

69.see fit (phrase)

English Meaning - to consider it appropriate or correct to do something; decide, choose, determine, resolve.

70.grant (verb)

English Meaning - to agree to give or allow something requested; bestow, award, accord, give.

71.precious (adjective)

English Meaning - of great value; not to be wasted or treated carelessly; valuable, cherished, prized, invaluable.

72.privilege (noun)

English Meaning - a special right, advantage, or immunity granted to a particular person or group; advantage, benefit, prerogative, entitlement.

73.investigate (verb)

English Meaning - examine, probe, scrutinize, look into.

74.render (verb)

English Meaning - to cause to be or become; make, cause to be, leave, turn.

75.pronounced (adjective)

English Meaning - very noticeable or marked; noticeable, conspicuous, striking, prominent.

76.reinforce (verb)

English Meaning - to strengthen or support an idea or feeling; strengthen, fortify, bolster, support.

77.partisan (adjective)

English Meaning - prejudiced in favor of a particular cause or party; biased, prejudiced, one-sided, sectarian.

78.character (noun)

English Meaning -nature, reputation, disposition, makeup.

79.undermine (verb)

English Meaning - weaken, compromise, sabotage, subvert.

80.fairness (noun)

English Meaning - impartial and just treatment or behavior without favoritism or discrimination; justice, equity, impartiality, objectivity.

81.credibility (noun)

English Meaning - the quality of being trusted and believed in; reliability, trustworthiness, integrity, validity.