NEW DELHI: The Election Commission of India on Monday issued notice to the Government of Karnataka for publishing various welfare schemes and achievements in several newspapers in poll-bound Telangana which has been seen as violation of Model Code of Conduct.
“The Commission has observed that certain advertisements highlighting welfare schemes and achievements of the Central Government and State Governments are being published by some non-poll going State Governments, in the editions of newspapers in the States where elections are going on. The Commission considers this to be a violation of the spirits of the Model Code of Conduct,” the ECI said.
The ECI said that it has been brought to the notice of the Commission by the BJP vide their representation dated November 27 and by Bharat Rashtra Samithi (BRS) vide their representation dated November 25 that the Government of Karnataka has published advertisements of various welfare schemes and achievements in the State of Telangana on 24-27th November 2023 in the Hyderabad edition of several newspapers (copy enclosed).
The commission further said that in future, all such advertisements, issued by non-poll going State Governments during the Model Code of Conduct period shall be forwarded to the Commission for clearance before they are sent for publication in newspapers having edition or having circulation in the poll bound States.
“The Commission has examined its own records and found that neither such approval was granted by the Commission as required under above mentioned instruction nor any such application from the State of Karnataka is found pending for decision. The Commission has taken a serious view of the said violate act by the government of Karnataka,” the ECI added.
The Commission asked the Karnataka government to submit it’s explaination by November 28 by 5 pm.
“Explain the circumstances which led to the violation of the Commission’s aforesaid MCC instructions on the part of the Government. The explanation should reach to the Commission by 28th November 2023 5:00 pm. Further publication of any such advertisements by the Government of Karnataka in the State of Telangana shall be stopped forthwith with immediate effect till necessary approvals are taken by the Government from the Commission and explain why disciplinary action is not directed against Secretary-in-charge of Department of Information and Public Relations for above mentioned violations of procedure,” the notice from ECI read. (ANI)