Kolkata: The Election Commission (EC) on Saturday said the Bharatiya Janata Party’s (BJP) theme song composed by Asansol MP Babul Supriyo cannot be played anywhere.
“Firstly, the theme song was not pre-certified for which we had informed the Commission. Also, the song is being played in different places so there are instructions for stopping it,” Additional Chief Electoral Officer Sanjay Basu told reporters.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) member who had applied for the song’s certification has been conveyed the EC’s decision.
Not seeking prior permission from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) is a violation of the model code of conduct, the official said.
Incidentally, West Bengal’s ruling Trinamool Congress had filed a complaint regarding the content of the song.
Later, the BJP had submitted the lyrics of the song for permission after which the state Chief Electoral Office asked the party to submit a revised version.
Meanwhile, following the EC’s order to remove some senior police officers in the state, Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee on Saturday wrote to the poll panel alleging that the decision was “arbitrary, motivated and biased”.
The EC on Friday removed Kolkata Police Commissioner Anuj Sharma, his counterpart in the Bidhannagar Commissionerate Gyanwant Singh and two Superintendents of Police — Shyam Singh of Birbhum and P.S. Selvamurugan of Diamond Harbour police district.
“The decision of the Commission is highly arbitrary, motivated and biased,” Banerjee said in the letter.
Barred on political advertisements
on polling day, eve
The Election Commission on Saturday barred publishing of political advertisements in print media on polling day and the day before in all seven phases of the upcoming Lok Sabha polls unless the contents of such advertisements are pre-certified by the MCMC.
The poll panel said the direction was issued in exercise of its powers under Article 324 of the Constitution in order to ensure “no untoward incident takes place because of any inflammatory, misleading or hate advertisement”.
It said that instances of advertisements of “offending and misleading nature published in print media have been brought to the notice of the Commission in the past” and that such advertisements in the last stage of the election “vitiate the entire election process”. (IANS)