Karnataka polls 2018: Election Commission bans three BJP video ads against Congress for violating guidelines

Bengaluru: Three video advertisements of BJP against the ruling Congress in poll-bound Karnataka were on Friday banned by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) from being aired on a complaint from KPCC. The committee restrained the media from airing or sharing the advertisements on the ground that they were violative of Election Commission guidelines. [caption id=“attachment_4442593” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] Representational image. Reuters[/caption] Karnataka is going for Assembly elections on 12 May. It was acting on a complaint filed by MLC VS Ugrappa, on behalf the Karnataka Pradesh Congress Committee, who had contended that the advertisements violated the election code of conduct. The Commissioner of department of information and public relations Harsha PS, in his order, banned airing of ‘Jana Virodhi Sarkara’ (anti-people government), Viphala Sarkara (failed government), both of 35 seconds duration, and ‘Mooru Bhagya’ (three fortunes) of 50 seconds. The order said the video advertisements violated the Election Commission guidelines. The permission for these three visual advertisements was given to Ganesh Yaji, state office secretary of the BJP on 22 April. Ugrappa in his complaint said the advertisements were also contrary to the provisions of Indian Penal Code as well as the Representation of People’s Act. The complaint said, “Series of television advertisements have also been published and broadcast across various TV channels in Karnataka, which are absolutely false and unverified claims amounting to further attacks on the integrity and personal image of the chief minister.”