The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) alleged Sunday that the Election Commission had “banned” their Lok Sabha campaign song “Jail Ka Jawab, Vote Se Denge.” However, officials from the Delhi poll body clarified that AAP was asked to alter the song’s content as it breached EC’s guidelines and advertising codes.
The over two-minute campaign song, composed and sung by AAP MLA Dilip Pandey, was unveiled at the party headquarters in Delhi on Thursday.
In a statement, the Delhi Chief Electoral Office explained that during a review of the advertisement submitted by AAP, the Media Pre Certification Committee flagged certain issues concerning the Election Commission’s regulations.
“The party was advised to modify the content to align with the Advertising Codes and EC guidelines and resubmit it for certification,” the statement read.
AAP was also informed that they could appeal the decision before the state-level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee if they disagreed with the committee’s ruling.
Earlier, the Delhi poll panel labeled certain images and phrases in the song as “slanderous” and criticised the ruling party based on unverified facts, while also casting aspersions on the judiciary and police.
At a press conference, AAP senior leader Atishi accused the Election Commission of bias towards the BJP, alleging that it turns a blind eye to BJP’s violations while scrutinizing AAP’s activities rigorously. She defended the song, stating it did not mention the BJP and did not violate the Model Code of Conduct.
Atishi claimed that the Election Commission’s objections to the song imply that it believes the BJP runs a dictatorial regime in the country.
In response, the Delhi Chief Electoral office highlighted specific phrases and images in the song that contravened ECI guidelines and Cable Television Network Rules. They cited instances where the song allegedly cast aspersions on the judiciary and police and incited violence.
Atishi urged the Election Commission to focus on the BJP’s violations of the Model Code of Conduct and not impede the opposition’s election campaign.
She expressed concerns about the neutrality of the Election Commission, hoping that the elections of 2024 would not be remembered as the demise of India’s democracy or a time when the Election Commission served as a political tool for the BJP.
With inputs from Agencies
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AAP claims Election Commission ‘banned’ campaign song, EC says it requested ‘modification’
