EC cracks down on political ads ahead of fifth phase of Bihar elections
It noted that certain advertisements of 'offending nature' published in Wednesday’s newspapers in Bihar had been brought to its notice.
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The Election Commission on Wednesday banned political parties and candidates from publishing advertisements in newspapers without prior approval. The decision comes in the wake of a Bharatiya Janata Party print ad that drew accusations from Bihar’s Grand Alliance of trying to “promote communal tension” among voters ahead of the final phase of the assembly elections on Thursday.
The advertisement questioned Chief Minister Nitish Kumar's silence on "repeated insult" to cows and asked him to come clean on the issue and stop playing vote-bank politics. The BJP had responded to criticism saying there was nothing wrong with the advertisement.
The EC noted that certain advertisements of "offending nature" published in Wednesday’s newspapers in Bihar had been brought to its notice. It said it has also directed newspapers not to publish any advertisements which have the potential of promoting ill-will, hatred or disharmony.
Last week, the EC had issued a strongly-worded advisory to the chief electoral officer of Bihar to censure two controversial BJP advertisements, which the Grand Alliance had also complained about.
