The Election Commission has written to the Ministries of Civil Aviation and Railways and also to the Railway Board about the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

In a communication to the Secretary Civil Aviation, the Commission has expressed its ``serious displeasure” over the ``non compliance” of the Commission’s ``lawful instructions and lackadaisical approach towards enforcing the MCC.” It points out that the Commission is still waiting for a response to its letter two days after the deadline that was provided has expired.

The controversy against Air India first erupted on March 25 when Punjab’s former Director General of Police put his boarding card on twitter pointing out that his Air India boarding card prominently had Narendra Modi and Vijay Rupani’s photographs. The airline issued a similar boarding card to a passenger on a flight from Madurai a few days later.

In another communication to the Railway Board, the Commission has expressed its “considered displeasure” over the non-compliance of the Commission’s instruction when the MCC is in force.

The Commission has sought a report from Secretary, Ministry of Railways and Chairman and Managing Director Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation (IRCTC) by April 4 on the fact that tea-cups carrying the Bharatiya Janata Party’s political slogan `Main hoon chowkidar’ were provided to passengers in a train by NGO Sankalp and such a matter is closely related to a violation of MCC. The communication adds that the incident has already been confirmed by IRCTC through its official statement of March 29.

The Commission has decided that disciplinary action be taken against the officer in charge and a report be submitted to the Commission within a week in the case of Air India and the Railway Board.

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