Days after it warned the political parties against using images and posters of armed forces in their Lok Sabha polls campaign, the Election Commission has asked Facebook to remove two political posters bearing the photo of IAF fighter pilot Abhinandan Varthaman shared by BJP leader and Delhi MLA Om Prakash Sharma.
According to a report in The Indian Express, the poll body initiated action based on a complaint received on its cVIGIL app.
The EC flagged the issue with Shivnath Thukral, Director, Public Policy for India and South Asia, at Facebook.
Recently, the Election Commission had issued a notice directing political parties not to use images of defence forces in their posters and other form of advertisements in the run-up to the Lok Sabha polls. The poll body cited a 2013 order to say that photographs of defence forces should not be used in advertisement/propaganda/campaigning or in any other manner in connection with election by political parties and candidates.
“The political parties must refrain from using photographs of defence personnel in advertisements or their election campaign propaganda as the armed forces are apolitical and neutral stakeholders in a modern democracy,” the EC said in a notice on its website on Saturday.
The recent development by the Election Commission is the first instance of action against a violation of the Model Code of Conduct by a political leader on social media. While announcing the Lok Sabha elections schedule on Sunday, the EC had said that people can report about the violation of MCC via its new android app cVIGIL and action will be initiated accordingly. The app was introduced by the EC during the Karnataka Assembly polls last year which allows people to report about the violation of Model Code of Conduct directly to the EC.
The Model Code of Conduct came into effect on Sunday evening with the announcement of Lok Sabha elections schedule.
Both the posters in question were shared by BJP leader Om Prakash on March 1. The posters bear photographs of Wing Commander Abhinandan along with PM Narendra Modi, BJP president Amit Shah and himself. He is a BJP MLA from Vishwas Nagar Vidhan Sabha seat.
While one poster reads: “Abhinandan’s return, through Modi ji, is a big diplomatic win for India”, the second one reads: “Pakistan capitulated, the country’s braveheart is back”.
The action by EC assume significance as this is the first general election where social media giants like Facebook, Twitter, Google, WhatsApp have agreed to co-operate with the poll body to uphold the integrity and legality of the political campaigns conducted on their platforms.
IAF fighter pilot Abhinandan was captured by Pakistan last month after his Mig aircraft was shot down in PoK by Pakistan’s F16. He was handed over to Indian officials later.