The Delhi chief electoral officer notified the Election Commission about a web series on Prime Minister Narendra Modi streaming without certification from the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee, The Indian Express reported on Sunday, quoting unidentified officials. The letter to Election Commission’s Principal Secretary Narendra Butolia was signed by Election Officer (Media, MCMC, Paid News and Training) on Saturday.
Modi: Journey of a Common Man – a 10-part web series directed by Umesh Shukla – is available on Eros Now. “We have brought to the notice of the ECI that a series on PM Narendra Modi is being screened on the Eros Now platform without MCMC certification from us,” an unidentified official of the Delhi CEO’s office told The Indian Express. “We have told them that this it is not Delhi specific and is a pan-Indian content, so they may take cognizance of the matter.”
The District Election Officer (East) also wrote to the Delhi CEO saying an FIR should be lodged against Eros Now for streaming the web series without permission. “The above-mentioned biopic series appears to be a biopic on Shri Narendra Modi, Prime Minister and a political leader as well as a prospective candidate in the current general elections to the 17th Lok Sabha which cannot be exhibited during the period of Model Code of Conduct presently enforced from March 10 at 5 PM onwards,” read the letter written by K Mahesh.
This comes days after the Election Commission deferred the release of PM Narendra Modi, a biopic on the prime minister, until the end of polling. The Lok Sabha elections, which began on April 11, will be held till May 19. The results will be declared on May 23. The film was slated to be released on April 11.
In its order on April 10, the EC had said: “Any biopic material in the nature of biography/hagiography sub-serving the purposes of any political entity or any individual entity connected to it, which is intended to, or which has the potential to disturb the level playing field during the elections, should not be displayed in electronic media…during the operation of MCC”.
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