The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) has banned telecasting of state Congress’ audio and video poll campaign, ‘chowkidar chor hai’ following objections from the BJP on Wednesday evening. The Congress filed a review petition against the ban while the BJP claimed that the poll campaign is both abusive and objectionable. As per an EC spokesperson, state’s Joint Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Kaul’s order said that the campaign was being banned as the EC’s media certification and scrutiny committee decided to revoke the permission granted to it on April 5.
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The BJP election cell members had filed a complaint to the CEO to put a ban on the song and it was accepted by the CEO, who stopped telecasting of song. The saffron party had complained to the poll authorities that the campaign used objectionable language against `chowkidar’, which referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi. It is claimed that the song was not presented to the expert committee of media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC) and no permission was taken.
The BJP’s complaint also stated that the Supreme Court is hearing a petition against Rahul Gandhi in this regard. BJP MP Meenakshi Lekhi last week filed a criminal contempt petition in the SC against Gandhi for using the phrase `chowkidar chor hai’ against Modi, pleading that he misinterpreted the SC’s recent order on the Rafale row. The court asked Gandhi to give an explanation by April 22. State BJP vice president Vijesh Lunawat said Gandhi was using ‘abusive’ words against the PM. “He was incorrectly citing the SC verdict while levelling this allegation (`chowkidar chor hai’). We told the EC that the SC had not said anything of this kind,” he said.
Cong objects to ban, files review petition
The CEO is working under pressure of the bJp and imposed the ban, alleged congress state media president Sobha Oza, while talking to media persons here on Thursday. The congress has filed review petition to the ceO demanding to review the song by the mcmc. Oza said that they had taken permission from the office of ceO to telecast the song on april 15. The duration of the song is 60 seconds and it has been telecast on TV channels. She claimed that if the ceO did not permit them to telecast the song they will file complaint against him.
