Punjab Election 2022: Poll Body Backtracks On Kumar Vishwas' Video Telecast Ban, Withdraws Order

The ban was issued on Thursday after AAP registered a complaint with the poll body objecting to the video interview given by Kumar.

Kumar Vishwas| Photo: Getty

New Delhi: Hours after asking to immediately stop broadcasting/ telecasting Kumar Vishwas' interview that made serious allegations against Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal, Additional Chief Electoral Officer of Punjab backtracked withdrawing the order.

The ban was issued on Thursday after AAP registered a complaint with the poll body objecting to the video interview given by Kumar Vishwas to news agency ANI. The complaint filed with the poll body stated that the video was provocative, communally divisive and maligned the image of Aam Aadmi Party.

While declaring the ban, Punjab Chief Electoral Officer Dr S Karuna Raju said that the video was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) issued by the Election Commission.

"The Office of Chief Electoral Officer, Punjab restrains media as well as political parties from publishing/circulating/ broadcasting the provocative and inflammatory video of Mr. Kumar Vishwas given to ANI considering it to be a violation of Model Code of Conduct," stated the letter.

However, the ban was revoked by Karuna Raju a few hours later.

Vishwas in his interview has alleged that Arvind Kejriwal had association with separatist group and he harboured ambitions to become the "chief minister of Punjab or the first prime minister of independent Khalistan".

Soon after the video emerged, AAP leader Raghav Chadha thwarted the claims by saying that Kumar Vishwas was making the allegations out of personal enmity against the party.

"The malicious, unfounded, fabricated and inflammatory insinuations made by Vishwas are not only demonstrably defamatory, but are redolent of promoting hatred ill will, and hostility in the society, in particular against the AAP," Chadha said.

Notably, Kumar Vishwas who was also on of the founding members of AAP left the party five years ago.