
The Election Commission (EC) has asked the Jharkhand BJP to remove a social media post that allegedly violates the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) on Sunday (Nov 17). The BJP has also been asked to provide an explanation for the "alleged violation" related to their post on social media platforms X (formerly Twitter) and Facebook.
In its notice, the EC said that the post contains a "communal, malicious, and misleading video" with the caption "poore Jharkhand ka the party" ("The party of the whole Jharkhand"). The EC emphasised that such content appears to breach the MCC.
The Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Jharkhand has been directed to take swift action against the objectionable post. This includes issuing a notice to the BJP for clarification and coordinating with the state’s designated authority under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act to have the content removed from social media.
The EC’s order to the CEO read, "On perusal of the complaint, it appears that the above referred social media post is prima facie violative of the MCC. It is therefore, directed to take immediate action as per existing laws and procedures and thereafter direct the concerned social media platfoms, through the authority designated in the State of Jharkhand under section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act to take down the referred posts immediately."
This action follows a complaint filed by the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha (JMM) and the Congress on Sunday, objecting to what they described as a "misleading and divisive" video shared by the BJP.
The first phase of voting for the Jharkhand Assembly elections was held on November 13, with the second phase scheduled for November 20. The counting of votes is set to take place on November 23.
(With inputs from agencies)