EC asks AAP to modify election campaign song and Kejriwal’s party is miffed

KV Prasad Jun 13, 2022, 06:35 AM IST (Published)

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The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged on April 28 that the Election Commission had “banned” its Lok Sabha campaign song ‘Jail Ka Jawab, Vote Se Denge’, although Delhi poll body officials clarified that AAP was instructed to modify the song’s content due to its violation of EC’s guidelines and advertising codes, PTI reported. The two-minute campaign song, crafted and sung by AAP MLA Dilip Pandey, premiered at the party headquarters in Delhi earlier this month.

Sources from the Delhi Chief Electoral Office told PTI that the song wasn’t banned outright but required revisions to adhere to Advertising Codes outlined in the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, and ECI guidelines from August 24, 2023, for certification.

The Delhi poll panel criticised certain visuals and phrases within the song, deeming them “slanderous” and potentially damaging to the judiciary and police.

Also read | AAP major beneficiary of proceeds of crime generated in excise scam: ED tells SC

At a press conference, Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) senior leader Atishi accused the Election Commission of aligning with the BJP and neglecting its transgressions, insisting that the campaign song did not breach the Model Code of Conduct. She questioned whether the EC aimed to suppress the truth or hide instances of police misconduct and BJP’s political interference.

Atishi contended that the EC’s objections marked the first instance of the Election Commission banning a party’s campaign song, highlighting what she perceived as double standards in EC’s treatment of AAP and BJP.

Also read | Arvind Kejriwal’s wife, Sunita Kejriwal to campaign for AAP candidates: Atishi

She maintained that the song, “Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se Denge,” merely shed light on perceived injustices without explicitly naming the ruling party. Despite AAP’s defense, the Delhi Chief Electoral office responded, indicating that certain phrases and visuals in the song contravened ECI Guidelines and incited violence. Atishi urged the Election Commission to focus on BJP’s alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct instead of impeding the opposition’s election campaign, expressing concern over the erosion of democracy and the perceived bias of the Election Commission in favor of BJP.

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KV Prasad Journo follow politics, process in Parliament and US Congress. Former Congressional APSA-Fulbright Fellow