The Election Commission (EC) has issued a show-cause notice to Delhi BJP MLA Om Prakash Sharma for putting up two posters featuring him, Prime Minister Narendra Modi and IAF Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman on Facebook.
The posters, shared on social media on March 1, feature Modi, BJP chief Amit Shah, the IAF officer, and Sharma, who represents the Vishwas Nagar seat in the Delhi Assembly. The EC has asked him to take down the post and give a reply by Thursday.
In its show notice, the EC said that the Commission has directed political parties to advise their candidates and leaders to desist from displaying photographs of WC Abhinandan in advertisement as part of their poll campaign. “You (OP Sharma) are directed to delete the post on your Facebook timeline immediately,” said the EC adding that the Commission had issued directions that any post on Facebook, Twitter, WhatsApp, Youtube, Google violating the directions of EC must be deleted.
“Your attention is drawn to the fact that you have posted the matter regarding your picture with photo of WC Abhinandan Varthaman of Indian Air Force with the Prime Minister of Indiamentioned in the show cause dated March 12, in your Facebook,” the notice said.
Defending himself to a notice from the EC, BJP MLA Sharma on Wednesday claimed that his photograph with Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was posted before Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into effect. “The Election Commission (EC) of India sent me a notice last night. The post was made before Lok Sabha poll dates were announced. I cannot understand how Election Commission is operating,” Sharma added.
The Lok Sabha election is scheduled to begin on April 11 and will continue till May 19. Polling in Delhi will be held on May 12. “Pakistan has bowed down. Our brave soldier has returned. It’s a big diplomatic victory that Modiji has brought Abhinandan back in very little time,” the posters read.
District Magistrate, Shahdara, K M Mahesh, said, “We issued a show-cause notice to Sharma on March 11 for posting posters featuring Abhinandan Varthaman on Facebook.” “ It’s a violation of the Model Code of Conduct and appropriate action will be taken,” Mahesh, who is also the district election officer, said. The EC had earlier directed political parties to advise their candidates and leaders to stop displaying photographs of Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman in advertisements as part of their election campaign.: “…the Armed Forces of a nation are the guardian of its frontiers, security and the political system. They are apolitical and neutral stakeholders in a modern democracy. It is therefore necessary that the political parties and leaders exercise great caution while making any reference to the Armed Forces in their political campaigns.”
The ECI said it was of the view that photographs of the Chief of Army Staff or any other defence personnel and that of functions of defence forces “should not be associated with or used in any manner in advertisement/ propaganda/campaigning or in any other manner in connection with elections by political parties and candidates”.
