The directive was issued after receiving complaints about the matter, which is part of a series of decisions taken by the Commission to ensure a level-playing field in the upcoming elections.
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to halt the delivery of bulk WhatsApp messages under the “Viksit Bharat Sampark” initiative, effective immediately. The directive was issued after receiving complaints about the matter, which is part of a series of decisions taken by the Commission to ensure a level-playing field in the upcoming elections.
Moral Code of Conduct
The messages, which include a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were sent before the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) came into force on March 16, along with the announcement of the Lok Sabha poll schedule. However, due to systemic and network limitations, some letters may have been delivered with a delay. The poll authority received several complaints that such messages highlighting the government’s initiatives were still being delivered on citizens’ phones despite the announcement of the General Elections 2024 and the MCC coming into force.
Objections and Complaints to Bulk Messages
The Congress and the Trinamool Congress raised objections to the message and requested the Election Commission to act against this “blatant violation” of the Model Code of Conduct. On Tuesday, the Chandigarh Chief Electoral Officer referred to the Election Commission for “appropriate action” a complaint regarding bulk WhatsApp messages. After examination of the complaint, the district media certification and monitoring committee found prima facie evidence of a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
EC Seeks Compliance Report From Govt.
The Election Commission has sought an immediate compliance report on the matter from the ministry. The ministry had informed the Commission that the messages along with a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi were sent before the Model Code of Conduct came into force. However, some of the letters could have possibly been delivered to recipients with a delay due to systemic and network limitations.
The Election Commission’s directive to the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to halt the delivery of bulk WhatsApp messages under the “Viksit Bharat Sampark” initiative is a step taken to ensure a level-playing field in the upcoming elections. The Commission has sought an immediate compliance report on the matter from the ministry.
Viksit Bharat Sampark
The Viksit Bharat Sampark progam is an ongoing monitoring and evaluation exercise focused on the implementation of Priority Sector Schemes of the Government of India to enhance the execution of these schemes. It involves continuous monitoring and evaluation to improve the implementation of these priority sector schemes. The Department of Administrative Reforms and Public Grievances and the Ministry of Information Technology (MeitY) are the key departments involved in overseeing this exercise.
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