By IANS,
New Delhi : The Election Commission (EC) Sunday reprimanded the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) for its newspaper advertisements in the run-up to the assembly elections and stated these violated the electoral code of conduct.
In a letter to BJP president Rajnath Singh, the commission stated that some statements in the party campaign advertisements violated the letter and spirit of the model electoral code of conduct.
“The commission expects that your party would avoid recurrence of such things,” it said.
The letter cited the statements, including “Jamia (Milia Islamia) University funds to defend terror accused”, “(The Congress) challenged existence of Shri Ram”, and “(The Congress was) bent upon demolishing Ram Sethu”.
The commission on Nov 17 issued notices to the BJP about this after complaints from the Congress. It disapproved the explanation of the BJP and issued a warning Sunday.
The commission said the BJP advertisement claiming that the Jamia Milia Islamia University funds were used to defend terror accused “is not factually correct.”
“The Vice-Chancellor of the Jamia University has categorically stated and clarified through the press that none of the funds of the university are being used for the alleged purpose and that students of the university were themselves raising their own funds for the purpose.”
The commission said the issue of Ram Sethu “related to some affidavits filed by the contending parties before the Hon’ble Supreme Court in some cases pending before that court.”
“The matter is sub-judice before the apex court and should not have been made a political issue by your party,” the commission told the BJP.