The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has alleged that the Election Commission (EC) has banned their campaign song ‘Jail ke jawab mein hum vote denge’, released as part of its movement to protest against party chief Arvind Kejriwal's arrest amid the ongoing election. According to an ANI report, senior AAP leader Atishi said at a press conference that "it is probably the first time that the EC has imposed a ban on a party's campaign song". According to the EC, she said, "the song shows the ruling party and investigation agencies in a bad light".
The EC has reportedly asked the AAP to "modify" the song saying it "casts aspersions on the judiciary". ANI quoted a notice dated April 27 as saying that the AAP has been asked to "modify the content of its election campaign song as per the Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 and ECI guidelines and resubmit [the song] for certification". The notice was issued by the office of the Delhi chief electoral officer, and takes objection to certain phrases that the notice claims violate rules against "inciting violence" and criticising rivals on the basis of "unverified allegations and distortions".
"The phrase 'jail ke jawaab me hum vote denge' showing an aggressive mob holding the photo of Arvind Kejriwal showing him behind bars, casts aspersions on the judiciary. Further, the said phrase appears several times in the advertisement which contravenes the provisions of ECI Guidelines and Rule 6(1(g) of Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994," the notice said.
Other lines cited in the notice include 'Gundagardi ke khilaf vote denge & Tanashahi karne waali party ko hum chot denge'.
'Song Includes Factual Videos'
Atishi said the "song does not mention the BJP and does not violate the Model Code of Conduct". "It includes factual videos and incidents," she added, saying the EC continues to ignore the violations of the MCC by the BJP.
"If the BJP does dictatorship, it is right. But if someone talks about it, that is wrong. This shows that democracy is in danger. I want to urge the EC to act on the (poll code) violations committed by the BJP and not stop campaigns of Opposition parties," she said, as quoted by PTI.
Describing the "ban" as another political weapon of the BJP, she said, "ECI says that if you talk about dictatorship, this is a criticism of the ruling party. This means that ECI also believes that the BJP is a dictatorship government..."
The AAP's over-two-minute campaign song has been penned and sung by AAP MLA Dilip Pandey. The song was released at the party headquarters in Delhi on Thursday.
The Supreme Court will on Monday hear petitions filed by Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and former Jharkhand CM Hemant Soren of the Jharkhand Mukti Morcha, against their arrest on corruption-related allegations.