BREAKING: Halt delivery of Viksit Bharat messaging over WhatsApp: EC tells MeitY
Election Commission has directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to immediately halt delivery of Viksit Bharat messaging over WhatsApp. A compliance report on the matter has been demanded immediately from MeitY
FollowThe Election Commission has directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to promptly cease the delivery of Viksit Bharat messaging over WhatsApp to citizens' phones. The Election Commission's action comes following multiple complaints regarding the continued delivery of Viksit Bharat messaging over WhatsApp to citizens' phones despite the announcement of the General Elections 2024 and the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) coming into effect.Â
Additionally, MeitY has been requested to provide an immediate compliance report on the matter. MeitY had previously informed the Commission that although the letters were dispatched before the MCC came into force, delays in delivery to recipients may have occurred due to systemic and network limitations. Opposition parties had accused the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led Centre of violating the model code of conduct by disseminating a 'Viksit Bharat Sampark' message on WhatsApp.
The Centre, through WhatsApp, has solicited feedback and suggestions from Indian citizens regarding its welfare schemes and governance initiatives, accompanied by a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi. This outreach has extended beyond India's borders, raising questions about the government's access to private numbers.
The Trinamool Congress in West Bengal had urged the state's chief electoral officer to issue directives for withdrawing the letters sent to individuals since March 15. The TMC contended that using the Prime Minister's office to circulate such letters, ostensibly on behalf of the Government of India, amounts to campaigning for the BJP in contravention of the Election Commission's guidelines.
Similarly, Congress Member of Parliament from Anandpur Sahib, Manish Tewari, denounced the unsolicited WhatsApp message as a violation of both the Model Code of Conduct and the Right to Privacy. Meanwhile, senior Congress leader Shashi Tharoor questioned the Election Commission's response to what he perceived as the blatant misuse of government machinery and data for partisan political gains.
Screenshots shared by Tharoor depict individuals from various countries, including Anthony J Permal, a UAE-based consultant, who allege that their privacy was breached by the Indian government's mass messaging campaign. As Prime Minister Narendra Modi seeks a third consecutive term, the BJP's electoral strategy revolves around its development agenda and the pledge of achieving a 'Viksit Bharat' (Developed India) by 2047, with a target of winning over 370 seats in the upcoming elections.
