Punjab Parties Found in Violation of Election Code?
In Punjab, political maneuvering ahead of the Lok Sabha elections has taken a contentious turn, with parties like the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Congress leveraging videos showcasing farmer protests against BJP candidates. This strategic move aims to sway public opinion in their favor. However, the State Election Commission (SEC) has intervened, emphasizing the need for parties to obtain certification from its Media Certification Monitoring Committees (MCMC) before disseminating such content.
The Election Commission of India (ECI) handbook outlines strict guidelines prohibiting parties from criticizing opponents based on unverified allegations. The Punjab Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) clarified that any creative content, including videos shared on social media platforms, must undergo scrutiny and receive certification from the MCMC.
Despite these regulations, both the AAP and Congress have been actively sharing videos of farmer protests against BJP candidates without the requisite certification. On the other hand, the BJP has secured certification for a single video intended for use in campaign vans, not for social media dissemination.
Since the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) in Punjab, political parties have flooded social media with hundreds of videos. However, the legality of these uploads under the MCC remains ambiguous, prompting concerns about potential violations.
Farmer unions have staged regular protests against BJP candidates like Hans Raj Hans and Taranjit Singh Sandhu, demanding legal guarantees for Minimum Support Price (MSP) for crops. Sandhu, in response, defended his stance, emphasizing his support for farmers’ welfare and income augmentation.
The AAP has consistently used social media to amplify these protests, portraying the BJP as indifferent to farmers’ concerns. Similarly, the Congress has capitalized on these events to criticize both the BJP and the Shiromani Akali Dal (Badal) for their perceived neglect of farmers’ interests.
