Pre-Certification Committee Rejects AAP’s Campaign Song Application for Alleged Violations
New Delhi, April 29, 2024: In a recent development, the pre-certification committee within the office of the Delhi chief electoral officer (CEO) has taken action against a campaign advertisement submitted by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). The committee has rejected the application for a song released by the AAP, citing multiple violations including casting aspersions on the judiciary, inciting violence, presenting police in a negative light, and relying on unverified facts to criticize the ruling party.
The rejected song, launched on April 25, allegedly raises allegations of dictatorial governance, unemployment, inflation, and conspiracies targeting opposition leaders. However, the pre-certification committee found several problematic elements within the two-minute song and video.
Among the issues raised, the committee highlighted phrases such as “jail ke jawab hum vote se denge” (we will answer jail terms with our votes), which it deemed as casting aspersions on the judiciary. Additionally, phrases like “tanashahi party ko hum chot denge” (we will hurt the dictatorial party) were considered as inciting violence, especially when accompanied by visuals depicting clashes between police and protesters.
Furthermore, the committee noted that certain phrases presented the image of the police in a negative manner, such as “gunda gardi ke khilaf vote denge” (we will vote against hooliganism) and “tanashahi karne wali party ko hum chot denge” (we will hurt the dictatorial party) alongside visuals of Manish Sisodia being escorted by police.
The rejection letter, dated April 27, advised the AAP to modify the song and video accordingly. Notably, the committee expressed concerns over the timing of their decision, which came two days after the song’s release. The AAP has been approached for further details regarding the submission timeline.
If the AAP chooses to appeal this decision, the plea must be directed to the state-level media certification and monitoring committee (MCMC), chaired by Delhi CEO P Krishnamurthy.
The committee also highlighted that the submitted transcript lacked the phrase “jail ka jawaab hum vote se denge” (we will answer jail terms with our votes) in the specified section, indicating discrepancies in the application process.