Permit to broadcast ads related to poll canvassing on social, electronic media to be sought- officer

Bilaspur, Oct 27 – Deputy Commissioner-cum-Returning Officer, Pankaj Roy said Thursday during the Model Code of Conduct under District Bilaspur, permission will be obtained from the Media Monitoring and Certification Committee before posting election campaign material on social media like Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and broadcasting advertisements on electronic media. He said during the review meeting of the Media Monitoring and Certification Committee Thursday that the Election Commission had issued strict guidelines in this regard. The Commission has held that social media and websites are also electronic media like radio-cable TV on which election campaigns should be legalised. Apart from this, candidates of political parties have also been asked not to use social media for an election campaign without permission. In the guidelines issued by the Election Commission of India in this regard, it has been clearly stated that before placing any advertisement or application on social media such as Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, and other apps, permission should be obtained after verifying it. This permission will be given by the Media Certification of Monitoring Committee. He said if the election campaign-related is found to be posted on social media without the permission of the committee, the Returning Officer concerned will issue a notice to the candidate, to which the candidate will have to reply within 48 hours if the candidate does not reply within 48 hours all the expenses related to advertisement will be deposited in the account of the candidate. He said if people other than the candidate are campaigning for any party or candidate on social media without the consent of the candidate, then action will be taken against that person under Section 171 of CrPC. Roy said for election-related advertisements, the registered party will have to take permission three days before the broadcast of the advertisement while the unregistered political parties will have to take permission seven days before the telecast. He said for any kind of political advertisement in the print media on the day of polling and the day before the poll, it is mandatory to get permission from the committee before two days by the committee.