The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued a notice to the KPCC president for publishing an advertisement in national and local newspapers in Karnataka “with unsubstantiated information” regarding alleged rates cited for appointments and transfers, kinds of jobs and commissions by the BJP.
The Opposition Congress has been asked to show reasons and provide empirical evidence on the rates for appointments and transfers by 7 p.m. on May 7, 2023, for the allegations made in the advertisement and also post it in the public domain. The party has been asked to explain why action should not be initiated against it for violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and relevant legal provisions under the Representation of the People Act and the IPC.
“The commission received a complaint dated May 5 from the BJP that the Indian National Congress had published an advertisement with the above-mentioned allegations,” stated an official release.
According to the notice, “While the general references and allusions to the alleged lack of achievement, misdeeds, not ensuring corruption-free governance of political opponents do float in the political campaigns, specific accusations and charges need to be segregated as the same must be backed by verifiable facts. Making specific charges, without any factual basis, is an action proscribed by the penal statutes.”
