The Evening Wrap: Election Commission looking into complaint against PM Modi’s Rajasthan speech

The Election Commission (EC) on April 23 said that it was examining the complaint made against the speech made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi at a rally in Rajasthan where he had said that if elected to power at the Centre, the Opposition Congress would distribute people’s property, land and gold among Muslims. EC sources said the complaint regarding the Prime Minister’s speech has been received and is under the consideration of the Commission. The Congress approached the poll body on Monday and formally lodged a complaint seeking action against Modi. The Congress alleged that the Prime Minister invoked religion and religious symbols to create enmity between groups. “The only available remedy compatible with the principle of zero tolerance towards allegations of corrupt practices, is the disqualification of the candidates who try to create a divide between different classes of the citizens of India regardless of the stature or position of that candidate,” the Congress memorandum said. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury had also shot off a letter to the Election Commission demanding action against the PM for making “inflammatory” remarks. The INDIA bloc parties in a coordinated effort too had asked citizens to send emails to the poll body raising this issue. On Monday, the EC had declined to comment in the matter. Patanjali advertisements case: Is your apology as big and expensive as your front-page ads? SC asks Ramdev, Patanjali The Supreme Court on April 23 asked Patanjali Ayurved, a company co-founded by self-styled yoga guru Baba Ramdev, if its apology published in newspapers was as big and expensive as its usual “front page” advertisements for herbal drugs. Patanjali, Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balkrishna are facing contempt action from the Supreme Court for publishing objectionable and misleading advertisements about their ayurvedic products. They had even violated an undertaking given to the Supreme Court in November last year to stop these advertisements. The court has so far been unhappy with their affidavits expressing regret over their actions In the previous hearing, the three contemnors had promised to take steps to redeem themselves, indicating they would publicly apologise in the media. Appearing before a Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for the trio, said the apology was published in 67 newspapers. “Tens of lakhs” were spent to convey their regret for misleading the public. “But is your apology the same size as the advertisements you normally issue in newspapers? Did it not cost you ‘tens of lakhs’ to put front-page advertisements?” Justice Kohli asked Rohatgi. The Bench said it did not want to see “blown-up” copies of the published apology. “We want to see the newspaper in the original. Which page, where it was published, etc, We want to see,” Justice Amanullah told the senior lawyer. The Bench gave Rohatgi time till April 30 to file the original papers. The court accused the Centre of possible double-speak on the availability of laws to investigate and prosecute companies who resort to misleading advertisements. The court sought an explanation from the AYUSH Ministry for the sudden “omission” of Rule 170, which dealt with the power to take action against objectionable advertisements, from the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. The court said the government’s own expert body had recommended Rule 170, only for the Centre to inexplicably remove the regulation later on. “Your own Minister of State assures in Parliament the need to protect consumers and initiate action against objectionable advertisements… then you go on to remove Rule 170. What weighed on you to do this?” Justice Kohli sought an explanation from the Centre. Actually, the disarmament of Rule 170 was quoted by Patanjali as an excuse to continue with their advertisements. The company had found the remaining laws against objectionable advertisements - Drugs and Magic Remedies Act of 1954 -- “archaic”. Justice Kohli said these advertisements “take the public for a ride, particularly families, affecting their health. The issue concerns even the health of babies and school children”. The judge said there were several Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies going this way”. “Have these FMCGs been identified? There have been advertisements misrepresenting products for babies… This is under the scrutiny of the Union government. If these advertisements target babies and children, if that is happening, the Union has to activate itself,” Justice Kohli underscored. Justice Kohli pointed out that the Advertising Standards Council of India had flagged 948 objectionable advertisements to the AYUSH Ministry in the past two years. “What follow-up action did you take on this?” the judge asked. The court widened its ambit to implead the Ministries of Consumer Affairs and Information and Broadcasting as parties in the case. “The other day a channel was flashing news of this hearing while part of the screen was also showing the advertisement of the company… What an irony” Justice Amanullah said. The court also impleaded the licensing authorities and drug controllers under AYUSH. The Bench also did not spare the Indian Medical Association, the petitioner who had moved Supreme Court against Patanjali. The court said it would look into the phenomenon of inflated bills and doctors allegedly prescribing over-priced medicine brands in cahoots with pharmaceutical companies. This portion of the case was scheduled to May 7 for hearing. Denying childcare leaves to mother of disabled child violates State’s constitutional duty: Supreme Court Observing the issue as “serious”, the Supreme Court on April 22 held that denying childcare leaves to a mother who is taking care of a child with disabilities, would violate the constitutional duty of the State to ensure equal participation of women in the workforce. A Bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice J.B. Pardiwala also directed setting up of a committee headed by the Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh to take a policy decision on the issue of grant of childcare leaves (CCLs) to the working women having children with disabilities. It said the plea raised a “serious” issue and “participation of women in the workforce is not a matter of privilege but a constitutional requirement and the State as a model employer cannot be oblivious of this”. The Supreme Court also ordered that the Centre be made party to the case and sought the assistance of Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati in adjudicating it. It, meanwhile, also directed the state authorities to consider the plea for grant of CCL to the petitioner woman, an assistant professor in the Department of Geography in the State. Her son suffers from a genetic disorder and has undergone several surgeries since birth. She exhausted the sanctioned leaves due to the treatment of her son and the Central civil service rules provided for CCLs. “The childcare leave sub-serves an important constitutional objective where women are not denied an equal opportunity in the workforce,” the Bench said, adding that the denial of such leaves may compel a working mother to leave the job and it is more crucial for a woman having a child with special needs. It directed the State Government to revise its policy on CCL to make it consistent with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. It said that besides the Chief Secretary, the committee will have Secretaries of the Women and Child Development and the Social Welfare Department of the State and it will have to take a decision on the issue of CCL by July 31. “Ultimately, the plea does entrench on areas of policy and areas of State policy must be synchronous with constitutional safeguards. We direct the State of Himachal Pradesh to reconsider CCL to mothers consistent with the RPWD Act for mothers who are bringing up mothers of children with special needs,” the CJI said. Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the State Government and the director of higher education on the plea on October 29, 2021. Later, it also sought the response of the commissioner under The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. Australian journalist leaves India over visa issues following govt’s objection to her reportage An Australian journalist on April 23 claimed that she was forced to leave India after the government refused to extend her work visa contending that her reportage had “crossed a line”. Avani Dias, the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, said she had to leave India on April 19, the day the Lok Sabha elections started after the government objected to her reporting on the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. “Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. The Modi Government told me my visa extension would be denied, saying my reporting ‘crossed a line’,” Dias said on X. “We were also told my election accreditation would not come through because of an Indian Ministry directive. We left on day one of voting in the national election in what Modi calls “the mother of democracy,” said Dias, who had been working in India for the past two-and-a-half years. She said after intervention from the Australian government, her visa was extended for two months which was conveyed “less than 24 hours before my flight”. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said Dias was informed of the decision by an official from the Ministry of External Affairs, who said her most recent ‘Foreign Correspondent’ episode “crossed a line”. ABC said YouTube has also blocked access in India to an episode of its news series ‘Foreign Correspondent’ on the Nijjar killing. Ban on MDH, Everest masala: India seeks details from food regulators of Singapore, Hong Kong India, the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices, has sought details from food safety regulators of Singapore and Hong Kong, which has banned certain spices of Indian brands MDH and Everest due to quality concerns. The commerce ministry has also directed Indian embassies in both Singapore and Hong Kong to send a detailed report on the matter. The ministry has also sought details from the Indian firms — MDH and Everest, whose products have been banned for allegedly containing pesticide ‘ethylene oxide’ beyond permissible limits. “Details have been sought from the companies. Root cause of the rejection and corrective actions will be determined along with the exporters concerned,” a commerce ministry official said. Technical details, analytical reports and the details of the exporters whose consignments have been rejected have been sought from Embassies at Singapore and Hong Kong, the official said. Details have also been sought from Singapore Food Agency and Centre for Food Safety, and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Hong Kong, the official added. The ministry official mentioned that an industry consultation is also scheduled to discuss the issue of mandatory testing of ethylene oxide in spice shipments to Singapore and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the Spices Board of India is looking into the ban imposed by Hong Kong and Singapore on the sale of four spice-mix products of Indian brands MDH and Everest. The Food safety regulator of Hong Kong has asked consumers not to buy these products and traders not to sell, the Singapore Food Agency has directed a recall of the products. In 2022-23 fiscal, the country exported spices worth nearly ₹32,000 crore. Chilli, cumin, spice oil and oleoresins, turmeric, curry powder and cardamom are major spices exported. After mass arrests at Columbia University, pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. college campuses Columbia cancelled in-person classes, dozens of protesters were arrested at New York University and Yale, and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public on April 22 as some of the most prestigious U.S. universities sought to defuse campus tensions over Israel’s war with Hamas. More than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had camped out on Columbia’s green were arrested last week, and similar encampments have sprouted up at universities around the country as schools struggle with where to draw the line between allowing free expression while maintaining safe and inclusive campuses. At New York University, an encampment set up by students swelled to hundreds of protesters throughout the day Monday. The school said it warned the crowd to leave, then called in the police after the scene became disorderly and the university said it learned of reports of “intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents.” Shortly after 8:30 p.m., officers began making arrests. “It’s a really outrageous crackdown by the university to allow the police to arrest students on our own campus,” said New York University law student Byul Yoon. “Antisemitism is never ok. That’s absolutely not what we stand for and that’s why there are so many Jewish comrades that are here with us today,” Yoon said. The protests have pitted students against one another, with pro-Palestinian students demanding that their schools condemn Israel’s assault on Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. Some Jewish students, meanwhile, say much of the criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe, and they point out that Hamas is still holding hostages taken during the group’s October 7 invasion. In Massachusetts, a sign said Harvard Yard was closed to the public Monday. It said structures, including tents and tables, were only allowed into the yard with prior permission. “Students violating these policies are subject to disciplinary action,” the sign said. Security guards were checking people for school IDs. The same day, the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee said the university’s administration suspended their group. In the suspension notice provided by the student organization, the university wrote that the group’s April 19 demonstration had violated school policy, and that the organization failed to attend required trainings after they were previously put on probation. The Palestine Solidary Committee said in a statement that they were suspended over technicalities and that the university hadn’t provided written clarification on the university’s policies when asked. “Harvard has shown us time and again that Palestine remains the exception to free speech,” the group wrote in a statement. Poll roundup: Congress spokesperson Supriya Shrinate said the party is exploring legal remedies as the Election Commission of India is not acting on the complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “redistribution of wealth” remarks. Shrinate said institutions like the ECI need to have complete faith of the people and they should work to restore that trust if it is shaken. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi made hate speeches in Rajasthan. My colleagues met the EC on Monday and we have pressed charges against him. As they are not acting upon our complaint, we are looking at legal remedies,” she told PTI. The Congress moved the EC seeking “appropriate action” against Modi for his ‘redistribution of wealth’ remarks at a poll rally in Rajasthan on April 22, alleging that the comments were “divisive”, “malicious” and targeted a particular religious community. Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief Sukhbir Singh Badal on April 22 condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on ‘redistribution of wealth’ made at a poll rally in Rajasthan, saying he should never have made such a statement which spread “communal hatred”. Addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara on Sunday, the Prime Minister had said the Congress plans to give people’s hard-earned money and valuables to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”. Reacting to the Prime Minister’s remarks, Badal said that he should never have made statements that “spread communal hatred, mutual suspicion and venom among people of our own country”. In Brief: A Delhi court on April 23 extended the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BRS leader K. Kavitha in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam till May 7. Special judge for CBI and ED matters Kaveri Baweja extended their custody after they were produced before the court through video conference on expiry of their remand. Meanwhile, Kejriwal has been administered a “low dose” of insulin after his blood sugar level spiked, officials of Tihar jail in New Delhi said on April 23. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. [logo] The Evening Wrap 23 April 2024 [The Hindu logo] Welcome to the Evening Wrap newsletter, your guide to the day’s biggest stories with concise analysis from The Hindu. [[Arrow]Open in browser]( [[Mail icon]More newsletters]( We are looking into complaint against PM Modi’s Rajasthan speech: Election Commission The [Election Commission (EC) on April 23 said that it was examining the complaint made against the speech made by Prime Minister Narendra Modi]( at a rally in Rajasthan where he had said that if elected to power at the Centre, the Opposition Congress would distribute people’s property, land and gold among Muslims. EC sources said the complaint regarding the Prime Minister’s speech has been received and is under the consideration of the Commission. The Congress approached the poll body on Monday and formally lodged a complaint seeking action against Modi. The Congress alleged that the Prime Minister invoked religion and religious symbols to create enmity between groups. “The only available remedy compatible with the principle of zero tolerance towards allegations of corrupt practices, is the disqualification of the candidates who try to create a divide between different classes of the citizens of India regardless of the stature or position of that candidate,” the Congress memorandum said. CPI(M) general secretary Sitaram Yechury had also shot off a letter to the Election Commission demanding action against the PM for making “inflammatory” remarks. The INDIA bloc parties in a coordinated effort too had asked citizens to send emails to the poll body raising this issue. On Monday, the EC had declined to comment in the matter. Patanjali advertisements case: Is your apology as big and expensive as your front-page ads? SC asks Ramdev, Patanjali [The Supreme Court on April 23 asked Patanjali Ayurved, a company co-founded by self-styled yoga guru Baba Ramdev, if its apology published in newspapers was as big and expensive as its usual “front page” advertisements for herbal drugs.]( Patanjali, Ramdev and his associate Acharya Balkrishna are facing contempt action from the Supreme Court for publishing objectionable and misleading advertisements about their ayurvedic products. They had even violated an undertaking given to the Supreme Court in November last year to stop these advertisements. The court has so far been unhappy with their affidavits expressing regret over their actions In the previous hearing, the three contemnors had promised to take steps to redeem themselves, indicating they would publicly apologise in the media. Appearing before a Bench of Justices Hima Kohli and Ahsanuddin Amanullah, senior advocate Mukul Rohatgi, for the trio, said the apology was published in 67 newspapers. “Tens of lakhs” were spent to convey their regret for misleading the public. “But is your apology the same size as the advertisements you normally issue in newspapers? Did it not cost you ‘tens of lakhs’ to put front-page advertisements?” Justice Kohli asked Rohatgi. The Bench said it did not want to see “blown-up” copies of the published apology. “We want to see the newspaper in the original. Which page, where it was published, etc, We want to see,” Justice Amanullah told the senior lawyer. The Bench gave Rohatgi time till April 30 to file the original papers. The court accused the Centre of possible double-speak on the availability of laws to investigate and prosecute companies who resort to misleading advertisements. The court sought an explanation from the AYUSH Ministry for the sudden “omission” of Rule 170, which dealt with the power to take action against objectionable advertisements, from the Drugs and Cosmetics Rules, 1945. The court said the government’s own expert body had recommended Rule 170, only for the Centre to inexplicably remove the regulation later on. “Your own Minister of State assures in Parliament the need to protect consumers and initiate action against objectionable advertisements… then you go on to remove Rule 170. What weighed on you to do this?” Justice Kohli sought an explanation from the Centre. Actually, the disarmament of Rule 170 was quoted by Patanjali as an excuse to continue with their advertisements. The company had found the remaining laws against objectionable advertisements - Drugs and Magic Remedies Act of 1954 -- “archaic”. Justice Kohli said these advertisements “take the public for a ride, particularly families, affecting their health. The issue concerns even the health of babies and school children”. The judge said there were several Fast Moving Consumer Goods (FMCG) companies going this way”. “Have these FMCGs been identified? There have been advertisements misrepresenting products for babies… This is under the scrutiny of the Union government. If these advertisements target babies and children, if that is happening, the Union has to activate itself,” Justice Kohli underscored. Justice Kohli pointed out that the Advertising Standards Council of India had flagged 948 objectionable advertisements to the AYUSH Ministry in the past two years. “What follow-up action did you take on this?” the judge asked. The court widened its ambit to implead the Ministries of Consumer Affairs and Information and Broadcasting as parties in the case. “The other day a channel was flashing news of this hearing while part of the screen was also showing the advertisement of the company… What an irony” Justice Amanullah said. The court also impleaded the licensing authorities and drug controllers under AYUSH. The Bench also did not spare the Indian Medical Association, the petitioner who had moved Supreme Court against Patanjali. The court said it would look into the phenomenon of inflated bills and doctors allegedly prescribing over-priced medicine brands in cahoots with pharmaceutical companies. This portion of the case was scheduled to May 7 for hearing. Denying childcare leaves to mother of disabled child violates State’s constitutional duty: Supreme Court Observing the issue as “serious”, the [Supreme Court on April 22 held that denying childcare leaves to a mother who is taking care of a child with disabilities, would violate the constitutional duty of the State]( to ensure equal participation of women in the workforce. A Bench comprising Chief Justice D.Y. Chandrachud and Justice J.B. Pardiwala also directed setting up of a committee headed by the Chief Secretary of Himachal Pradesh to take a policy decision on the issue of grant of childcare leaves (CCLs) to the working women having children with disabilities. It said the plea raised a “serious” issue and “participation of women in the workforce is not a matter of privilege but a constitutional requirement and the State as a model employer cannot be oblivious of this”. The Supreme Court also ordered that the Centre be made party to the case and sought the assistance of Additional Solicitor General Aishwarya Bhati in adjudicating it. It, meanwhile, also directed the state authorities to consider the plea for grant of CCL to the petitioner woman, an assistant professor in the Department of Geography in the State. Her son suffers from a genetic disorder and has undergone several surgeries since birth. She exhausted the sanctioned leaves due to the treatment of her son and the Central civil service rules provided for CCLs. “The childcare leave sub-serves an important constitutional objective where women are not denied an equal opportunity in the workforce,” the Bench said, adding that the denial of such leaves may compel a working mother to leave the job and it is more crucial for a woman having a child with special needs. It directed the State Government to revise its policy on CCL to make it consistent with the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act, 2016. It said that besides the Chief Secretary, the committee will have Secretaries of the Women and Child Development and the Social Welfare Department of the State and it will have to take a decision on the issue of CCL by July 31. “Ultimately, the plea does entrench on areas of policy and areas of State policy must be synchronous with constitutional safeguards. We direct the State of Himachal Pradesh to reconsider CCL to mothers consistent with the RPWD Act for mothers who are bringing up mothers of children with special needs,” the CJI said. Earlier, the Supreme Court had issued a notice to the State Government and the director of higher education on the plea on October 29, 2021. Later, it also sought the response of the commissioner under The Persons with Disabilities (Equal Opportunities, Protection of Rights and Full Participation) Act, 1995. Australian journalist leaves India over visa issues following govt’s objection to her reportage [An Australian journalist on April 23 claimed that she was forced to leave India after the government refused to extend her work visa contending that her reportage had “crossed a line”.]( Avani Dias, the South Asia Bureau Chief of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, said she had to leave India on April 19, the day the Lok Sabha elections started after the government objected to her reporting on the assassination of Sikh separatist Hardeep Singh Nijjar. “Last week, I had to leave India abruptly. The Modi Government told me my visa extension would be denied, saying my reporting ‘crossed a line’,” Dias said on X. “We were also told my election accreditation would not come through because of an Indian Ministry directive. We left on day one of voting in the national election in what Modi calls “the mother of democracy,” said Dias, who had been working in India for the past two-and-a-half years. She said after intervention from the Australian government, her visa was extended for two months which was conveyed “less than 24 hours before my flight”. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation said Dias was informed of the decision by an official from the Ministry of External Affairs, who said her most recent ‘Foreign Correspondent’ episode “crossed a line”. ABC said YouTube has also blocked access in India to an episode of its news series ‘Foreign Correspondent’ on the Nijjar killing. Ban on MDH, Everest masala: India seeks details from food regulators of Singapore, Hong Kong [India, the world’s largest producer, consumer and exporter of spices, has sought details from food safety regulators of Singapore and Hong Kong, which has banned certain spices of Indian brands MDH and Everest due to quality concerns.]( The commerce ministry has also directed Indian embassies in both Singapore and Hong Kong to send a detailed report on the matter. The ministry has also sought details from the Indian firms — MDH and Everest, whose products have been banned for allegedly containing pesticide ‘ethylene oxide’ beyond permissible limits. “Details have been sought from the companies. Root cause of the rejection and corrective actions will be determined along with the exporters concerned,” a commerce ministry official said. Technical details, analytical reports and the details of the exporters whose consignments have been rejected have been sought from Embassies at Singapore and Hong Kong, the official said. Details have also been sought from Singapore Food Agency and Centre for Food Safety, and Food and Environmental Hygiene Department, Hong Kong, the official added. The ministry official mentioned that an industry consultation is also scheduled to discuss the issue of mandatory testing of ethylene oxide in spice shipments to Singapore and Hong Kong. Meanwhile, the Spices Board of India is looking into the ban imposed by Hong Kong and Singapore on the sale of four spice-mix products of Indian brands MDH and Everest. The Food safety regulator of Hong Kong has asked consumers not to buy these products and traders not to sell, the Singapore Food Agency has directed a recall of the products. In 2022-23 fiscal, the country exported spices worth nearly ₹32,000 crore. Chilli, cumin, spice oil and oleoresins, turmeric, curry powder and cardamom are major spices exported. After mass arrests at Columbia University, pro-Palestinian protests sweep U.S. college campuses [Columbia cancelled in-person classes, dozens of protesters were arrested at New York University and Yale, and the gates to Harvard Yard were closed to the public]( on April 22 as some of the most prestigious U.S. universities sought to defuse campus tensions over Israel’s war with Hamas. More than 100 pro-Palestinian demonstrators who had camped out on Columbia’s green were arrested last week, and similar encampments have sprouted up at universities around the country as schools struggle with where to draw the line between allowing free expression while maintaining safe and inclusive campuses. At New York University, an encampment set up by students swelled to hundreds of protesters throughout the day Monday. The school said it warned the crowd to leave, then called in the police after the scene became disorderly and the university said it learned of reports of “intimidating chants and several antisemitic incidents.” Shortly after 8:30 p.m., officers began making arrests. “It’s a really outrageous crackdown by the university to allow the police to arrest students on our own campus,” said New York University law student Byul Yoon. “Antisemitism is never ok. That’s absolutely not what we stand for and that’s why there are so many Jewish comrades that are here with us today,” Yoon said. The protests have pitted students against one another, with pro-Palestinian students demanding that their schools condemn Israel’s assault on Gaza and divest from companies that sell weapons to Israel. Some Jewish students, meanwhile, say much of the criticism of Israel has veered into antisemitism and made them feel unsafe, and they point out that Hamas is still holding hostages taken during the group’s October 7 invasion. In Massachusetts, a sign said Harvard Yard was closed to the public Monday. It said structures, including tents and tables, were only allowed into the yard with prior permission. “Students violating these policies are subject to disciplinary action,” the sign said. Security guards were checking people for school IDs. The same day, the Harvard Undergraduate Palestine Solidarity Committee said the university’s administration suspended their group. In the suspension notice provided by the student organization, the university wrote that the group’s April 19 demonstration had violated school policy, and that the organization failed to attend required trainings after they were previously put on probation. The Palestine Solidary Committee said in a statement that they were suspended over technicalities and that the university hadn’t provided written clarification on the university’s policies when asked. “Harvard has shown us time and again that Palestine remains the exception to free speech,” the group wrote in a statement. Poll roundup: - Congress spokesperson [Supriya Shrinate said the party is exploring legal remedies as the Election Commission of India is not acting on the complaint against Prime Minister Narendra Modi]( for his “redistribution of wealth” remarks. Shrinate said institutions like the ECI need to have complete faith of the people and they should work to restore that trust if it is shaken. “Prime Minister Narendra Modi made hate speeches in Rajasthan. My colleagues met the EC on Monday and we have pressed charges against him. As they are not acting upon our complaint, we are looking at legal remedies,” she told PTI. The Congress moved the EC seeking “appropriate action” against Modi for his ‘redistribution of wealth’ remarks at a poll rally in Rajasthan on April 22, alleging that the comments were “divisive”, “malicious” and targeted a particular religious community. - Shiromani Akali Dal (SAD) chief [Sukhbir Singh Badal on April 22 condemned Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s remarks on ‘redistribution of wealth’ made at a poll rally in Rajasthan]( saying he should never have made such a statement which spread “communal hatred”. Addressing a rally in Rajasthan’s Banswara on Sunday, the Prime Minister had said the Congress plans to give people’s hard-earned money and valuables to “infiltrators” and “those who have more children”. Reacting to the Prime Minister’s remarks, Badal said that he should never have made statements that “spread communal hatred, mutual suspicion and venom among people of our own country”. In Brief: [A Delhi court on April 23 extended the judicial custody of Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and BRS leader K. Kavitha]( in a money laundering case related to the alleged excise scam till May 7. Special judge for CBI and ED matters Kaveri Baweja extended their custody after they were produced before the court through video conference on expiry of their remand. Meanwhile, Kejriwal has been administered a “low dose” of insulin after his blood sugar level spiked, officials of Tihar jail in New Delhi said on April 23. Evening Wrap will return tomorrow. 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