New Delhi: The Congress approached the Election Commission of India on Monday regarding photographs of the Prime Minister at petrol pumps and other public places. It demanded that, in view of the upcoming Assembly elections in five states, such photographs of the Prime Minister should be removed. In a letter written to the EC, AICC secretary and head of its legal and human rights department, K.C. Mittal, raised strong objections to the photographs in posters of oil companies put up to popularise the cooking gas distribution initiative.
“The hoardings, posters and banners of the Central government with the photographs of the Prime Minister at any place within the election-bound states cannot continue, since it is in violation of the Model Code of Conduct and will interfere with free and fair elections,” Mr Mittal said.
The Congress said that the commission had removed such posters carrying the photographs of chief ministers of the states going to polls. The same should be done in the case of Prime Minister’s photo, the party demanded. The model code of conduct is in place as elections to the states of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Goa, Uttarakhand and Manipur commence on February 4.
The letter written by Mr Mittal also requested “that the EC may please order removal of all such hoardings of Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the petrol pumps and any other place in these states along with other posters and banners of the Central government or Central bodies in the form of any advertisement by them.”
