The Election Commission on Friday banned three video advertisements of the Bharatiya Janata Party from being aired in poll-bound Karnataka. The Media Certification and Monitoring Committee banned them based on a complaint by the Karnataka unit of the Congress, which had contended that the advertisements violated the Model Code of Conduct, PTI reported.
Elections to the 224-member Karnataka Assembly will take place on May 12, and the results will be announced on May 15.
“The Commissioner of the Department of Information and Public Relations, Harsha PS, in his order, banned airing of ‘Jana Virodhi Sarkara’ [anti-people government], ‘Viphala Sarkara’ [failed government], both of 35 seconds duration, and ‘Mooru Bhagya’ [three fortunes] of 50 seconds,” the Election Commission said.
The permission for these advertisements was given to Bharatiya Janata Party state office secretary Ganesh Yaji on April 22.
Congress MLC VS Ugrappa filed the complaint against the advertisements. The complaint said, “Series of television advertisements have also been published and broadcast across various TV channels in Karnataka, which are absolutely false and unverified claims, amounting to further attacks on the integrity and personal image of the chief minister.”
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