Modify campaign song: ECI tells AAP ahead of LS polls
What's the story
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to revise its election campaign song, 'Jail ke jawab mein hum vote denge.' It asked the Arvind Kejriwal party to modify the song as per the advertising codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, and ECI guidelines and resubmit it for certification. The two-minute-long campaign song written by AAP MLA Dilip Pandey discusses issues such as corruption, exam scams, inflation, unemployment, and poor infrastructure.
Phrase criticized
ECI's problem with the song
In its notice, the ECI said that the phrase "jail ke jawaab me hum vote denge," showing an aggressive mob holding the photo of Kejriwal behind bars, casts aspersions on the judiciary. The ECI stated that this phrase, which appears several times in the advertisement, contravenes their guidelines and Rule 6(1)(g) of Program and Advertising Codes under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994.
Twitter Post
Check out ECI's notice here
The Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to modify the content of its election campaign song as per the Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 and ECI guidelines and resubmit after modification, for the… https://t.co/IkmKreHStv pic.twitter.com/BxNyCmeRYt
— ANI (@ANI) April 28, 2024
Accusations made
Atishi accuses ECI of acting as a 'political weapon'
Addressing a press conference earlier, Delhi Minister Atishi accused the ECI of acting as a "political weapon of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)." She claimed this was the first time in Indian history that a campaign song was banned by the ECI. "The same Election Commission ignores the violation of the model code of conduct done every day by the BJP," she said.
Election
Delhi will vote on May 25
The campaign song features images of former ministers Manish Sisodia and Satyendar Jain, who are in jail in different money laundering cases, and ends with the AAP Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, saying, "Jail ke jawab vote se denge." The AAP will go up against the BJP in the Delhi Lok Sabha elections on May 25. Currently, all seven Lok Sabha seats in Delhi are with the BJP.