Congress puts CAR in Sonowal, Nadda, in eight Assam newspapers with BJP ad

Congress puts CAR in Sonowal, Nadda, in eight Assam newspapers with BJP ad

Congress puts CAR in Sonowal, Nadda, in eight Assam newspapers with BJP ad

Guwahati : Congress has filed a police complaint against Assam Prime Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, BJP chief JP Nadda, President Ranjeet Kumar Dass and eight leading newspapers "hiding the advertisement as news" predicting the party's victory in all Upper Assam seats in the by-elections on March 27. .

The FIR was lodged at the Dispur police station on Sunday night for allegedly violating the Code of Conduct (MCC), Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 and ECI directives issued on March 26, APCC Legal Department chairman Niran Borah said.

"This is a clear violation of the MCC, Representation of the People Act, 1951 and relevant ECI directives and media policies by BJP leaders and members, who, after realizing that their defeat was inevitable, have resorted to illegal and unconstitutional measures to influence state voters," he said.

"In a preliminary plan to deceive voters in the second and third rounds, the CM President, BJP nationally, the country's president and other party members have secretly advertised as headlines in various newspapers claiming that the BJP will conquer all Upper Assam regions," Brorah said.

Congress puts CAR in Sonowal, Nadda, in eight Assam newspapers with BJP ad

Congress puts CAR in Sonowal, Nadda, in eight Assam newspapers with BJP ad

The advertisements were presented in a "discriminatory manner" and this deliberately, malicious and harmful advertisement clearly violates Section 126A of the Representation of the People Act, 1951, which is punishable by two years' imprisonment.

In addition, the ECI directive, aimed specifically at Assam, prohibited the distribution of any kind of prediction related to the results of voting between 7 a.m. March 27 to 7.30 p.m. on April 29, Borah said.

"The publication of major BJP advertisements to falsely predict the outcome of the current election elections is in their favor and in direct violation of the rules," he said.

The APCC also urged police to take "immediate and necessary action" against those listed in the complaint, including newspapers.

The State Congress has lodged a complaint with Assam's Chief Electoral Officer Nitin Khade and the AICC and the Indian Electoral Commission over the release of the ads on Sunday urging the BJP and newspapers to take immediate action.

An official in the CEO's office said on Sunday the matter would be investigated by the ECI.

Leading English, Assamese, Hindi and Bengali newspapers have published the ads including Assam Tribune, Asomiya Pratidin, Aamar Asom, Niyomia Barta, Asomiya Khabor, Dainik Asam, Dainik Jugasankha and Dainik Purvodaya.

It is estimated that 79.93 percent of 81.09 percent of voters exercised their right to vote in 47 constituencies in the first round of voting in Assam on Saturday.

Election of 39 seats will be held in the second round on April 1 and 40 in the third and final round on April 6. PTI