Jaisalmer: Poll season in India often throws up many interesting stories and with the assembly elections in the five states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, Chhattisgarh and Mizoram this year, the parties are leaving no stone unturned to attack each other and woo voters by launching news schemes and campaigns. However, in one such incident in Rajasthan gone wrong, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) used the photo of a farmer without informing him or taking his permission. More so, the farmer's photo was used by the BJP for its "Nahin Sahega Rajasthan" campaign and it was claimed by the party that the elderly farmer's land was auctioned as he owed money to the government. The farmer has said that neither his land was auctioned, nor does he owe any money to anyone and has said that he is considering filing a defamatory case against the BJP.
The farmer's photo was used on banners with the claim by BJP that land of over 19 thousand farmers was auctioned by the state's Congress government and launched a campaign against the alleged wrongdoing by using the caption, "Nahi Sahega Rajasthan" (Rajasthan won't tolerate anymore).
The case is from Ramdevra in Jaisalmer district of Rajasthan. Madhuram Jaipal (70), a farmer residing in Rikhion Ki Dhani village, said that the photo on the BJP banner is his and that people of his village and his relatives recognised him when they saw his photo on the huge posters. He added that his relatives too asked him about the poster and how he was having top clarify to everyone that neither his land has been auction nor he owes money to anyone. He has told the party to take down his photos as soon as possible or else he would take action against the party.
