Congress Seeks Election Commission Action Against BRS For ‘Slanderous Ad’
New Delhi: The Congress has complained to the Election Commission of India (ECI) against a ‘slanderous campaign’ by the Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) against the party ahead of Telangana elections by way of an advertisement in various newspapers leveling false and baseless charges. Briefing reporters here today, Dr Abhishek Singhvi, Rajya Sabha MP and member of Congress Working Committee, hoped that the ECI will show the same zeal in taking note of the matter, as it recently showed towards a Congress leader.
“When a political regime is at its weakest it begins to engage in questionable and often embarrassing political tactics”, he said, while remarking, “staring at an imminent defeat in the upcoming elections, the BRS has lost all semblance of political restraint and composure”.
Referring to an advertisement published in various E- newspapers today, Dr Singhvi said, it demonstrates the desperation to try and diminish the Congress wave that is sweeping the State of Telangana.
“What makes it all the more laughable is that these are the same false, hollow and shameless allegations, in fact the same language, which the BJP has been attempting to use, with a staggering and consistent lack of success, in every election since 2014”, he remarked, while adding, “the clear link between the BJP and the BRS now stands exposed before the public”.
The senior Congress leader said, while the Congress has never shied away from defending itself against such attempts at tarnishing its reputation, this time there is an additional cause of action as the BRS has published this advertisement (without seeking approval/ pre-certification from the Election Commission of India (required for E-Newspapers as per ECI Circular dated August 24th, 2023) and (2) apparently and allegedly, seems to have led newspapers to believe that it has indeed secured this permission.
The second allegation, he added, flows from the fact that normally no newspaper will publish such an advertisement (on its online version especially) without asking for some type of certification, when the Model Code of Conduct is in operation.
“These are very serious charges, unprecedented in their brazenness, and if true, constitute fraud, perjury and misrepresentation”, he said, adding, all of these are very serious offences under the Indian Penal Code.
Hoping that the ECI will take action, Dr Singhvi pointed out, the Election Commission, on a complaint by the BJP, recently issued a notice against a senior leader of the INC for asking pertinent questions of the Modi Government on their disinvestment policy on the grounds that unproven allegations cannot be made in a political campaign. In that case, he added, the questions were civil and based on the public record.
In this case, the senior Congress leader pointed out, there is a banal attempt at name calling which is based on far more sinister charges. “We hope that the same zeal with which a notice was issued to the INC leaders will be exercised in calling the BRS leaders to account since they have completely crossed the Laxman Rekha and have not only made false allegations but have, apparently and allegedly, indulged in serious fraud to mislead the public”, Dr Singhvi said.
