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The Election Commission of India has taken swift action ahead of the General Elections 2024, directing the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to immediately cease the delivery of ‘Viksit Bharat’ messages over WhatsApp. This decision comes in response to numerous complaints about the continued distribution of these messages despite the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
Election Commission has directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to immediately halt delivery of Viksit Bharat messaging over WhatsApp. Compliance report on the matter has been demanded immediately from MeitY: EC
The Commission had received several… pic.twitter.com/3ziyxdrF70
— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2024
Despite the MCC coming into effect and the official announcement of the upcoming elections, complaints persisted regarding the delivery of ‘Viksit Bharat’ messages to citizens’ phones. In light of this, the Election Commission demanded a compliance report from MeitY without delay.
Responding to the Commission’s directive, MeitY acknowledged that while the messages were dispatched before the MCC took effect, some recipients may have experienced delays due to systemic and network constraints.
The Commission’s move to halt the dissemination of bulk WhatsApp messages under the ‘Viksit Bharat Sampark’ initiative is aimed at ensuring a fair electoral process. Seeking a compliance report from MeitY underscores the seriousness with which the Commission is addressing this issue.
Despite initial communications from MeitY explaining the timing of the message dispatch, concerns remained about the continued delivery of these messages highlighting government initiatives. Opposition parties, including the Congress and the Trinamool Congress, raised objections to what they perceived as a violation of the Model Code of Conduct, prompting action from the Election Commission.
The swift intervention by the Election Commission underscores its commitment to upholding the integrity of the electoral process and maintaining a level playing field for all parties involved.
