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The Election Commission (EC) is preparing to act on a video animation released by the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Karnataka unit on May 4. The video, which aims to highlight the BJP‘s accusations of Muslim appeasement by the Congress, came under the EC’s radar after a complaint lodged by the party with the state’s chief electoral officer.
Congress’s Counteraction
In another development, Mallikarjun Kharge has responded on behalf of the Congress regarding an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by its star campaigner Rahul Gandhi. A notice was issued on him on April 25. However, when it comes to PM Narendra Modi’s similar notice for MCC violations, the BJP has asked for more time.
Notice to BJP and Congress Chiefs
Departing from its standard practice of issuing notices directly to concerned leaders, the EC has directed the party chiefs to respond instead. Both Nadda and Kharge were initially required to submit their replies by April 29. However, they were granted an extension until May 6.
Controversial Video Content
The controversial animation video, posted by the Karnataka BJP, depicts a character representing Rahul Gandhi placing a large egg labeled ‘Muslims’ into a nest alongside smaller eggs marked as ‘SC’, ‘ST’, and ‘OBC’. The video insinuates that the Congress, represented by Gandhi, favors Muslims over other communities, particularly those marginalized under India’s reservation system.
Modi’s Allegations Against Congress
Earlier, Prime Minister Modi had accused the Congress of attempting to reallocate reservation quotas meant for Scheduled Castes (SCs), Scheduled Tribes (STs) and Other Backward Classes (OBCs) in favour of its Muslim vote bank.
Response from Congress and BJP
The Congress of Karnataka has complained against BJP leaders with JP Nadda and BY Vijayendra, president of the party and chief in Karnataka respectively, calling the video an attempt at creating communal tension. In response, Amit Malviya defended the clip as a move to expose Congress’ alleged divisive agenda while he is a national media in charge for BJP.
EC’s Intervention
So far, Following up with Election Commission (EC) directives, the Karnataka Chief Electoral Officer has contacted X (formerly Twitter) through state nodal officer asking them to take down this controversial post. While they wait for the EC’s further orders a Model Code of Conduct(MCC) may be enforced in some way by electoral body.
Conclusion
All these happenings show how important it is to follow rules and regulations during elections both offline as well as online where political messages can travel vast distances within seconds. The interventions made by EC at this stage help uphold transparency in voting process and protect democracy.
Social media platforms have become potent channels for political communication over recent times enabling parties to rapidly reach out wider sections of people. However, there are also risks involved because posts could go viral with wrong information or provoke violent actions. This intervention by EC indicates need for more oversight on regulation in this space to ensure fair and transparent elections.
Also Read : https://test.inpactimes.com/bjps-legal-stand-aap-the-battle-of-allegations/
