Mumbai: The Bombay HC on Thursday asked the Election Commission of India (EC) not to take the issue of paid political content on social media lightly. This comes after the HC noted that despite orders the officer of the EC had failed to appear before it. A division bench of Chief Justice Naresh Patil and Justice Nitin Jamdar warned the EC of a warrant against its officials, if it fails to send an officer to the court in the next hearing. “This is a serious matter. Stop taking it lightly.
We want your officer in the next hearing, if he fails to appear, we will issue a warrant,” CJ Patil warned. “Let the EC explain on affidavit why it failed to send its officer today,” CJ Patil added. The bench posted the matter for further hearing on February 4, directing the EC and the Facebook to file replies to a PIL seeking prohibition dissemination of paid political content on social media, two days before elections.
