Did Not Breach Poll Code by Remarks on Sushma Swaraj, Arun Jaitley: Udhayanidhi Stalin to EC

DMK youth wing leader Udhayanidhi Stalin on Wednesday denied he had breached the Model Code of Conduct during the poll campaign for the just concluded Tamil Nadu Assembly elections by making some remarks about late BJP leaders Sushma Sawaraj and Arun Jaitley. The EC had issued the notice to Udhayanidhi Stalin for his alleged remarks that Swaraj and Jaitley died as they were "unable to tolerate the pressure and torture" given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In his reply, Udhayanidhi Stalin said the "tenor and intention of his entire speech must be appreciated" to decide the context of the extracted two lines uttered and urged the EC to furnish a transcript of the entire speech for him to furnish a full and proper reply. The notice had said the EC received a complaint from the BJP alleging that Udhayanidhi Stalin, while addressing a political gathering at Dharapuram on March 31, made a statement that "Sushma Swaraj and Arun Jaitley died unable to tolerate the pressure and torture given by Prime Minister Narendra Modi". Stating that he held Modi, Swaraj and Jaitley in "high esteem in their public life and personal capacity," Udhayanidhi Stalin said he had no ill will against them.