Election Commission orders removal of Jharkhand BJP social media post | Latest news India

The poll panel’s decision came following a complaint filed by the ruling Jharkhand Mukti Morcha and its ally Congress. The JMM and the Congress, in their complaint filed before the poll committee on Sunday, objected to the “misleading and divisive” video released by the Jharkhand BJP.

Taking note of the complaint, EC asked the Jharkhand CEO to direct social media companies, including X/Twitter, to immediately remove the posts through the designated authority of the state under the Section 79(3)(b) of the Information Technology Act. . He further asked the state returning officer to also send a notice to the BJP and submit a report on the action taken.

“It is, therefore, directed to take immediate action in accordance with existing laws and procedures and thereafter direct the concerned social media platforms through the designated authority in the State of Jharkhand under section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act, to immediately delete the referenced messages. You are simultaneously and further requested to give appropriate notice to the BJP Jharkhand to explain the alleged violation of the provisions of the MCC by the party due to its social media posts. The party may be asked to remove the said post immediately,” the ECI letter said.

Jharkhand CEO K Ravi Kumar said a takedown notice was sent to X/Twitter on Sunday around 11 am and an FIR was also lodged, much before the ECI sent a communication at his office.

The tweet that the ECI wants to delete was posted by the official account of BJP Jharkhand X (@BJP4Jharkhand) on November 16. The 54-second video shows a group of apparently poor Muslims arriving at the home of a wealthy Hindu family who voted for the JMM. , and take back their house. It ends with two people from a basti telling the house owner: “The people you voted for brought these people here.” …so why would our basti be the only one to be destroyed? Your house should also be destroyed.

The video, which was also posted by the BJP Jharkhand Facebook account, shows a poster outside the house supporting JMM with a photo of a person resembling Hemant Soren. The poster reads, “Pure Jharkhand ka kaya palat kar denge (We will change the composition of entire Jharkhand)”. The Congress and JMM complained to the ECI on Sunday.

Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act allows the “appropriate” government or “its agency” to issue takedown orders to intermediaries for illegal content. HT has not found any public order or notification appointing an officer under section 79(3)(b) for the State of Jharkhand.

The JMM, in its complaint, said the video “is full of baseless allegations and lies whose sole purpose is to unduly influence voters to dissuade them from voting for an opposition party and for the BJP to achieve unfair electoral gains in the state of Jharkhand. “. The JMM said that this video violates the “ECI guidelines against hate speech, misinformation and defamatory content in the digital sphere” and that the BJP Jharkhand Twitter account poses “a serious threat to the integrity of the democratic process and undermines voter confidence. “.

Congress said the video “propagates a false narrative about members of a particular religious community” and “directly invokes religious identity as a call to vote,” in violation of the MCC and the Representation of the People Act , 1951.