EC red-flags govt ads with PM Narendra Modi

Prime Minister Narendra Modi (File Photo)

The EC on Thursday drew the Cabinet Secretary’s attention to violations of the model code of conduct in Goa and Uttarakhand where government advertisements carried photographs of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

On Monday, the Congress had approached the EC, urging it to remove posters of the Prime Minister in government advertisements displayed at public places and petrol pumps, especially in Goa. In Uttarakhand, oil companies were reportedly distributing certificates carrying Modi’s pictures to consumers who had surrendered their LPG subsidy recently. According to the EC rules, the party in power cannot use the state machinery or the state exchequer to its advantage when the model code is in place.

Reiterating an old order which prohibits government advertisements from carrying images of ministers and politicians in the poll-bound states, the EC has asked the Cabinet Secretary to bring the order to the notice of all authorities for strict compliance.