Paid news: EC disqualifies MLA,bars her for 3 yrs

The issue was brought to the notice of the poll panel in April last year after the Press Council of India (PCI) passed its judgment on a complaint filed by one Yogendra Kumar against the two Hindi dailies — Dainik Jagran and Amar Ujala — for publishing paid news in their newspapers on the eve of the Assembly election for Bisauli in Uttar Pradesh.

Kumar had complained that the two newspapers had published ‘paid news’ items just a day before polling in favour of Umlesh Yadav,who was contesting as a Rashtriya Privartan Dal candidate from 24-Bisauli constituency.

Both newspapers had challenged the allegation and provided copies of the paper to assert that the said item was an advertisement (ADVT) as mentioned at the bottom of the said article and also furnished bills for it.

“The format of impugned material was such that it would appear as a news report to the layman and the word ADVT printed at the lowest end rather appeared to accompany a small boxed appeal by the candidate. There was beyond doubt a possibility of confusing the voters when the elections were just a day away and all campaigning had stopped. The act was not only unethical by journalistic standards but also in violation of the election laws,” PCI had said after newspapers’ reply.

Based on PCI’s ruling,the Commission had held the said items in both the dailies as an instance of paid news and sought details of election expenditure details of Umlesh Yadav from the District Election Officer. The DEO found that the expenditure on the said paid news was not clear from the account submitted by Umlesh Yadav.

The Commission then issued notices to Umlesh Yadav and the two dailies. Yadav,in response,denied issuing the advertisement and alleged that it “may be handiwork of some opponent party people”.

Both the dailies furnished details of the bills issued in the name of D P Yadav,the then president of Rashtriya Parivartan Dal,who merged his party with the BSP in 2008,for the said advertisements.

After further examining the issue,the Commission came to the conclusion that Umlesh Yadav “did not maintain a correct and true account of her election expenditure” and had also “failed to lodge her account of election expenditure in the manner required by law”.