Chandigarh: The Chandigarh Chief Electoral Officer has referred to the Election Commission for “appropriate action” a complaint regarding bulk WhatsApp messages showcasing the central government’s “achievements” under the banner of “Viksit Bharat Sampark”.
According to an official statement, after examination of the complaint, the district media certification and monitoring committee found prima facie evidence of a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, which came into force with the declaration of the Lok Sabha election schedule last week.
The complaint was received through the cVIGIL mobile application of the poll panel, and the official statement on the matter did not mention the complainant.
It appears that a government department used social media, specifically WhatsApp, to showcase the government’s achievements after the declaration of the election schedule, the statement added.
Given the gravity of the matter, the Chief Electoral Officer of Chandigarh has referred this case to the ECI for appropriate action.
The matter pertains to a WhatsApp message, along with a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, received by a large number of people.
The Congress and the Trinamool Congress have raised objections to the message and requested the Election Commission to act against this “blatant violation” of the Model Code of Conduct.
BJP Rajya Sabha MP Samik Bhattacharya claimed on Tuesday that the PMO has not violated any code of conduct, and added, “TMC leaders have no place in the hearts of people and that will be clear after the polls conducted by the Election Commission.”
In a post on X on Monday, Congress MP Manish Tewari brought the matter to the attention of the poll panel and said “this unsolicited WhatsApp message came at 12.09 AM today. It seems to be from @GoI_MeitY (Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology). Is this not a blatant violation of the both Model Code of Conduct & Right to Privacy.”
“Where did @GoI_MeitY get my mobile number from? Which database are they unauthorisedly accessing?” Tewari said in the post.
In a post on X earlier, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor said, “Will the @ECISVEEP take note of such a blatant misuse of government machinery and government data to serve the partisan political interests of the ruling party?”
In a letter addressed to the chief election commissioner on Monday, TMC Rajya Sabha MP Derek O’Brien said a message by the prime minister highlighting his government’s programmes reached the electorate on March 16, after the Model Code of Conduct came into force.
He urged the “EC to ensure that appropriate directions are issued to the BJP and its candidate Modi to withhold from future campaigns at the cost of public exchequer, to withdraw the letter”.
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