At UP Railway Station, No One Bothered About PM’s MCC Violation

When I pointed it out, I was shooed away by the authorities.

Mohammed Shabbar was shunned away by authorities after he questioned why there was a photo of PM Modi on a railway ticket.

(Photo: Kamran Akhter/The Quint)

Video Editor: Prashant Chauhan
Producer: Aastha Gulati

I am Mohammed Shabbar, a resident of Barabanki city in Uttar Pradesh. On 13 April, around 10 am, I went to Barabanki station to get a ticket for my aunt from Barabanki to Banaras. After getting the ticket from the reservation counter, I turned it over I saw that it had a photo of PM Narendra Modi ji. Since the election is going on, the Model Code of Conduct is in effect in the entire country, and breaking the code set by the Election Commission – according to which a political party or leader cannot advertise its schemes – is not allowed.

I realised the prime minister is breaking India’s law and he is breaking the rules of the Election Commission.

In cases of such a violation, there is an investigation, but no one heard me and I was shooed away by the authorities. Still, I thought that it is important that I raise my voice against this wrongdoing.

Till now, there has been no investigation because I saw last night that there were a lot of the same tickets kept on the window.

Through your platform, I would like to request the Election Commission to launch a strict investigation against Barabanki Railway station and stop the violation of its rules.

(On 16 April, ANI reported that two railway employees had been suspended in the case. It quoted the SDM as saying, "On 13 April, when the shift was changing, an old roll was mistakenly used. Two employees have been suspended, a department probe is underway.")

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