The Election Commission on Friday put on hold three television advertisements by the Bharatiya Janata Party, which attacked the ruling Congress party, accusing it of poor governance.
The Congress had filed a complaint with the EC, based on which action was taken.
The three advertisements – ‘Jana Virodhi Sarkara’, ‘Vipahala Sarkara’ and ‘Mooru Bhagya’– have been recalled, and electronic and digital media have been restrained from broadcasting them.
In the first advertisement, a woman is seen stating that women do not feel safe in the state. "When the Lokayukta himself does not have security, then we fear for the security of common people,”
she says.
The advertisement also claims that the Congress government in the state is looking to divide people on the basis of caste and religion. It ends with a person asking whether we need this kind of government and urges people to help BJP win.
The second advertisement focuses on the various misgivings that people have with regard to the Congress government and customarily ends with the message asking people to change the government to a BJP-led one.
The third advertisement lists the various schemes started by the Congress government in the state and claims that money was looted in each of the schemes. "Solar Power Tender – Rs 800 crore pocketed. BBMP Waste segregation Tender – Rs 400 crore pocketed," states the ad. It also says that the various 'Bhagya' schemes started by the government have also pocketed money without naming exact figures. The advertisement also highlights Siddaramaiah's watch, calling it a '10% commission watch'.
The Election Commission in its decision has asked the pre-certification committee to reconsider the content after giving a notice to all the affected parties and hearing them, and then pass appropriate orders as per guidelines of the ECI not later than 24 hours.
The Congress celebrated this decision by saying “Satyameva jayate (Truth prevails).”
Based on our complaint, Election Commission has banned Karnataka BJP's Advertisements which were propagating blatantly false information. #SatyamevaJayate pic.twitter.com/eeNytpKOiX
— Karnataka Congress (@INCKarnataka) April 27, 2018
“BJP’s vitriolic agenda stumped as EC bans the venemous advts’ of its Karnataka unit facing imminent defeat! Truth prevails!!!’ the party’s national spokesperson Randeep Surjewala tweeted.