The Election Commission (EC) has asked the Aam Aadmi Party to modify the content of its Lok Sabha elections’ campaign song, ‘Jail ke jawab mein hum vote denge’. The poll panel said the party’s campaign song should comply with the advertising codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, and the Election Commission’s guidelines.
The EC has asked AAP to resubmit the poll song for certification after making the required certifications.
The EC said in its notice that the campaign song’s content apparently casts aspersions on the judiciary, which violates the provisions of ECI guidelines and advertising codes.
“The phrase ‘jail ke jawaab me hum vote denge’ showing an aggressive mob holding the photo of Arvind Kejriwal showing him behind bars, casts aspersions on the judiciary. Further, the said phrase appears several times in the advertisement which contravenes the provisions of ECI Guidelines and Rule 6(1(g) of Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994,” it said.
Meanwhile, AAP leader Atishi claimed that the Election Commission had banned AAP’s campaign song. Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader Atishi said, “ This is the first time in the history of the country that the Election Commission of India has banned the campaign song of any party to stop the campaign”.
According to the EC, she said, the song shows the ruling party and investigation agencies in a bad light.”The song does not mention the BJP and does not violate the Model Code of Conduct. It includes factual videos and incidents,” she added.
Atishi, who is also a Delhi government minister, accused the EC of not acting on poll code violations committed by the BJP.
“This is the same Election Commission which sees nothing when the BJP is making fun of the Model Code of Conduct on a daily basis. But if the AAP leaders even breathe, they are served another notice. When the BJP misuses the ED and CBI to put the opposition leaders in jail during the Model Code of Conduct, the EC has no objection to it. But if the AAP even writes it in a song, the EC raises various objections, she added.
Answering a reporter’s question, Atishi stated, “The campaign song does not mention the BJP and does not violate the Model Code of Conduct.
It includes factual videos and incidents, whether it is the picture of Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, whether it is the video of police’s misbehaviour with Shri Manish Sisodia in the Rouse Avenue Court, whether it is the brutal detention of our volunteers in protests, everything is factual. Does the EC want to suppress the truth? Does the poll agency want to hide the misconduct of the police or the political misuse of the probe agencies by the BJP?” she concluded.
Reacting to this, Delhi BJP Spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor has said that the Aam Aadmi Party leaders master the art of playing victim card, they first violate laws and when objected to by any authority or person they start playing victim card. Kapoor has said that as per law content of campaign songs or campaign pamphlets need to be approved by the Chief Electoral Officer Delhi prior to public launch.
The AAP’s over two-minute campaign song has been penned and sung by AAP MLA Dilip Pandey. The song was released at the party headquarters here on Thursday.
