Lok Sabha Elections 2024: EC asks AAP to modify 'jail ka jawab vote se' campaign song

Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi on Sunday alleged that the Election Commission has banned the party's campaign song, 'Jail ka jawab vote se' stating that it showed the ruling party and agencies in a very poor light.  

The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday directed the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to change the content of their election campaign song in accordance with the advertising standards outlined in the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994, and ECI guidelines. The poll body also requested that the party resubmit the song once it had been modified for certification. The development comes ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.

In an official statement, the Election Commission told the Aam Aadmi Party that "The phrase "jail ke jawaab me hum vote denge" shows an aggressive mob holding the photo of Arvind Kejriwal showing him behind bars, which casts aspersions on the judiciary."

"Further, the said phrase appears several times in the advertisement which contravenes the provisions of ECI Guidelines and Rule 6(1\(g) of Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994," it added.

Meanwhile, Delhi Minister Atishi described the Election Commission as a "political weapon of the BJP" and said that the poll body ignored the BJP's violations of the Model Code of Conduct.

"Another political weapon of the BJP, the Election Commission, has banned AAP's campaign song. This happened for the first time in the history of India when the Election Commission banned the election song of a political party. The same Election Commission ignores the violation of the MCC done every day by the BJP," Atishi said.

She said, "The Election Commission does not object when the Enforcement Directorate, CBI, and other cases on political leaders are shut as soon as they join the BJP, but when we mention that in our campaign song, the poll body objects to it."

"The Election Commission said that if you talk about dictatorship, this is a criticism of the ruling party, which means the Election Commission also believes that the BJP is a dictatorial government," she added.

The AAP's over two-minute campaign song has been penned and sung by AAP MLA Dilip Pandey.