New Delhi: The Election Commission has told the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to immediately stop sending ‘Viksit Bharat’ messages on WhatsApp. The ministry, according to the EC, had claimed that “though the letters were sent out before MCC [Model Code of Conduct] period, but due to system architecture and network limitations it is possible that some letters have a delayed delivery”.
“The Commission has received complaints from various quarters that such messages are still being delivered on citizens’ phones. Since the MCC is now in force, you are hereby directed to ensure forthwith that no further delivery of ‘WhatsApp messages’ take place during MCC period. A compliance report in this regard may be sent immediately,” the EC has said.
The EC notice does not say that any action will be taken on the messages already sent after the MCC was already in force.
On Wednesday, The Wire had reported how Chandigarh election authorities had said that the WhatsApp messages, being send in the prime minister’s name, were a “prima facie violation” of the MCC, and referred the matter to the EC given its all-India jurisdiction.
The matter relates to the circulation of bulk messages to millions of Indians on WhatsApp from ‘Viksit Bharat Sampark’, with a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi attached. The Viksit Bharat Sampark account had the registered office address of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India.
Largely highlighting his government’s achievements in past ten years, Modi in the letter stated that transformation in the lives of people was the biggest achievement of his government. He then sought people’s feedback.
