The Election Commission of India on Thursday said it has directed the ministry of electronics and information technology (MeitY) to immediately halt the delivery of “Viksit Bharat” messages over WhatsApp. It has also sought a compliance report on the matter from the IT ministry.
The poll body said it received several complaints of messages highlighting the government’s initiatives being delivered on the phones of citizens despite the announcement of the general elections and Model Code of Conduct (MCC) coming into action.
“In response, MeitY had informed the commission that although the letters were sent out before MCC came into force, some of them could have possibly been delivered to recipients with a delay because of systemic and network limitations,” the poll body said.
“The move is a part of a series of decisions taken by the Commission to ensure a level-playing field,” it added.
The WhatsApp message from ‘Viksit Bharat Sampark’ has been making rounds seeking feedback and suggestions from the citizens, along with a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
In the letter, issued on the eve of the announcement of the general elections, the PM said: “I need and indeed, look forward to your ideas, suggestions and support as we work to fulfil the resolve of building a Viksit Bharat.”
The letter, which has been addressed to “my dear family members”, in line with the BJP’s “Modi Ka Parivaar” (Modi’s family) narrative, the PM said: “Our partnership is at the threshold of completing a decade. The trust and support of 140 crore Indians inspires and motivates me.”
He has credited the government schemes and programmes for the “transformation that has taken place in the lives of the people” and called it “the biggest achievement of our government over the last 10 years.”
Opposition leaders had called out the Election Commission to act against what they alleged was a “blatant violation” of the model code of conduct.
