Railway employees suspended in breach of MCC while issuing Modi's pic on tickets

Four railway officials were suspended Tuesday after tickets carrying photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi were issued to passengers at Barabanki railway station in Uttar Pradesh. The Lucknow divisional railway manager suspended a chief reservation supervisor, a commercial inspector and two reservation clerks, officials said.

The model code of conduct, besides other things, bars a party in power to use the official machinery to help it in elections. This comes days after the railways were pulled up by the Election Commission for issuing tickets with pictures of the prime minister and in another instance where tea was served to passengers with the slogan "main Bhi chowkidar" written on them. The photograph was part of an Urban Development Ministry advertisement campaign. A portion of the back side of the ticket is often used for advertising.