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Election Commission asks AAP to modify campaign song over slogan on Arvind Kejriwal's arrest; Atishi attacks BJP
The Election Commission has asked Delhi's ruling party to resubmit the poll song for certification after making the required certifications.
The Election Commission of India has ordered the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to modify the content of its Lok Sabha elections' campaign song. The poll panel said that the repeated reference of Arvind Kejriwal's arrest in a slogan in the song casts aspersions on the judiciary, which violates the provisions of its guidelines and the Advertising Codes.
The Election Commission has asked Delhi's ruling party to resubmit the poll song for certification after making the required changes.
In March, Arvind Kejriwal was arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case. AAP claims that he was jailed because the BJP didn't want him to campaign for the ongoing Lok Sabha elections. However, earlier this month, the Delhi high court upheld his arrest.
"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.
AAP claims BJP conspiracy
AAP leader Atishi claimed that the Election Commission had banned AAP's campaign song. She said the Election Commission's action was a political weapon hurled by the BJP.
Also read: ED action ‘illegal’, assault on democracy, Arvind Kejriwal tells Supreme Court
Atishi claimed it was the first time in the history of the country that the poll panel has put a ban on a campaign song.
"Another political weapon of the BJP, the Election Commission has put a ban on AAP's campaign song. This has happened for the first time in the history of India, that the Election Commission has put a ban on the election song of a political party," Atishi was quoted as saying by news agency ANI.
Atishi further claimed that the Election Commission ignored the violation of the Model Code of Conduct by the Bharatiya Janata Party leaders.
Also read: BJP slams Arvind Kejriwal after Delhi high court's rap over CM post despite arrest
She claimed the EC said the campaign song put the Directors of the CBI and Enforcement Directorate in bad light.
"The ECI does not object when the ED, CBI, and other cases on political leaders are shut as soon as they join the BJP, but when we mention that in our campaign song, the ECI objects to it... ECI says that if you talk about dictatorship, this is a criticism of the ruling party. This means that ECI also believes that the BJP is a dictatorship government," she added.
The BJP has been demanding that Arvind Kejriwal resign as the chief minister of Delhi. However, AAP insists that he will run the government from jail.
