The Election Commission (EC) has issued a notice to the ruling BJP for publishing an advertisement in national and local newspapers in Karnataka “without verifiable facts” regarding specific claims made in the advert.
The BJP has been asked to show reasons and provide verifiable and traceable facts on the claims made in the advertisement by 8 p.m. on May 9, 2023, and also post it on 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 Representation of the People Act and IPC.
The EC had earlier issued a notice to the Congress on newspaper advertisements on “rate cards” of the ruling BJP relating to corruption charges.
The notice to BJP issued on Monday stated, “The commission had received a complaint dated May 8 from the Congress that the BJP had published an advertisement making some specific claims about the Congress party. It may be recalled that the commission had on May 2 advised all parties and stakeholders to remain within the confines of the MCC and the legal framework in their utterances while campaigning so as to maintain the dignity of the political discourse and not to vitiate the campaign and election atmosphere.”
“While general claims and accusations are part of election campaigns, specific allegations and claims about the opponents need to be supported by verifiable and traceable facts... Any claim made without basis and empirical evidence has the potential of misleading the voters...,” the notice stated.
“It is expected that BJP must be possessing verifiable and traceable facts based on which these specific/explicit claims about an opponent have been made. You are, therefore, directed to convey the verifiable and traceable facts regarding the claims made in the advertisement given by you along with an explanation by 8 pm on May 9 and also put that in public domain,” the notice stated.
