NEW DELHI: Congress on Sunday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission against the Bharatiya Janata Party over an advertisement posted on its social media page saying that “false allegations and statements are being ascribed to leaders of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM), the Indian National Congress (INC) and the Rashtriya Janata Dal (RJD).”
“It is submitted that under the Model Code of Conduct, no Political Party, Leader or Candidate can engage in electoral campaigning that is based on false information about opposing Political Parties/Candidates. Further, no Political Party, Leader, or Candidate, can engage in activities that would constitute Corrupt Practices under the Representation of the People Act, 1951,” the complaint read.
Sharing a copy of the complaint, Congress spokesperson Jairam Ramesh said, “A complaint has just been lodged with the Election Commission on a most disgusting ad relating to Jharkhand put out by the BJP officially. It not only brazenly and blatantly violates the ECI’s Model Code of Conduct, it is also an act of serious criminality. We hope the ECI will act immediately and pursue this matter to its logical conclusion.”
The BJP’s advertisement is full of unfounded claims and false information, aimed at misleading voters and discouraging them from supporting opposition parties, while unfairly boosting the BJP’s chances in Jharkhand. The advertisement violates both the Model Code of Conduct and the Representation of the People Act, 1951, the grand old party said.