BJP seeks ban on actor Shivarajkumar's movies, ads, & billboards until end of LS polls

Manoj Kumar Meena, the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, said “We are examining it (the letter).”

Published on: Mar 23, 2024, 08:58:57 IST

PTIPosted by Yamini C S

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BJP on Friday requested the Election Commission to prohibit display of films, advertisements, and billboards of actor Shivarajkumar who it claimed is campaigning for the Congress in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls.

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His wife, Geetha Shivarajkumar is the Congress candidate in the Shimoga Lok Sabha constituency for the coming polls and the actor was earlier this week seen campaigning for her.

In a letter to the poll body, the Karnataka State President of BJP OBC Morcha Wing and senior BJP leader R Raghu stated that Shivarajkumar, being a prominent figure in the state and currently engaged in a "statewide election campaign for the Congress party", holds significant influence over the populace through his cinematic work and "public persona."

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“While we respect his right to participate in the democratic process, it is imperative to maintain a level playing field and prevent undue advantage or influence during the election period,” Raghu said.

Given his significant influence and popularity, he earnestly requested the EC to take immediate action by issuing an order to cinema halls, TV channels, social media platforms, and local organisations to refrain from displaying any films, advertisements, or billboards featuring Shivrajkumar until the conclusion of the polls.

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“We are examining it (the letter),” the Chief Electoral Officer of Karnataka, Manoj Kumar Meena, told PTI.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yamini C S
Yamini CS is a Senior Content Producer at Hindustan Times with nearly six years of experience in digital journalism. She is part of the India News desk, where she works on a wide range of stories cutting across civic issues, city-based developments, politics, governance, public policy, breaking news, trending topics, and international affairs that have an impact on India. Her role involves tracking fast-moving developments, verifying information from official and on-ground sources, and presenting news in a clear, accessible format for a digital-first audience. A significant part of her work includes handling live blogs during major news events, such as elections, court verdicts, political developments, civic disruptions, protests, weather-related alerts, and unfolding national or international incidents. Through live coverage, she focuses on timely updates to help readers follow complex stories as they evolve. Before moving to the broader India News desk, Yamini was associated with the Bengaluru desk at Hindustan Times, where she extensively covered urban governance, infrastructure, traffic and transport issues, weather events, public grievances, and civic administration in the city. This experience strengthened her grounding in city reporting and sharpened her focus on citizen-centric journalism. She began her career as a correspondent with Reuters after completing a postgraduate diploma in journalism from the Indian Institute of Journalism and New Media. Her early training instilled a strong emphasis on accuracy, sourcing, and news ethics, which continue to shape her reporting style. Outside of work, Yamini enjoys reading across genres, listening to music, and spending time with her family, which help her maintain balance in a fast-paced newsroom environment.Read More

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