Prime Minister Atal Behari Vajpayee today promptly jumped to the defence of the Centre’s ad campaign, saying it was the duty of the government to inform the people about its achievements.BJP president Venkaiah Naidu also made it clear that his party was unwilling to take the Chief Election Commissioner’s suggestion that public money should not be used. ‘‘You declare the election dates and then the code of conduct will come into effect. All parties will abide by it,’’ Naidu said in Patna.Joining chorus with Naidu, the PM in Delhi said: ‘‘Every government in the past has resorted to ad campaigns to highlight its achievements. It is the duty of the government to inform people about its achievements. This information should be carried to people and it should reach them.’’ Vajpayee was swift to react to the Congress charge this time, after the party picked up the thread of the CEC’s remark and mounted a scathing attack on his government for wasting public money.The Congress also kicked up another debate today, stressing that the code of conduct should be applied from the time the Cabinet recommends House dissolution to the President and not after the election schedule is announced.The party said as the Cabinet had communicated to the President the decision to dissolve the Lok Sabha on January 27, the code should have come into effect right then. Party chief spokesperson Jaipal Reddy said: ‘‘In a normal election held on schedule, the model code of conduct comes into operation after announcement of poll schedule But in this case when the Union Cabinet takes a decision to dissolve the Lok Sabha in advance to hold early polls, the code should be deemed to have come into effect from the day of the decision to dissolve.’’‘‘Any expenditure since January 27 to project government’s achievements is not only politically improper but outrageously immoral,’’ Reddy charged. ‘‘According to one estimate, more than Rs 500 crore of public money including from various PSUs, is being pumped to refurbish the image of the government,’’ he added. ‘‘Even the Planning Commission has come out with advertisements.”Meanwhile, asked about the CEC’s remarks, Vajpayee said: ‘‘What he is saying is correct from his viewpoint and what we are doing is correct from our viewpoint. It is wrong to say the tax-payers’ money is being misused. This (ad campaign) is a part of the government’s responsibility. When the code of conduct comes into force, it will be implemented.’’
