NaMo TV to not air anything which impacts Lok Sabha election: Delhi CEO issues notice to BJP

The chief electoral officer (CEO) of Delhi has issued a notice to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) over the content aired on the NaMo TV. In its notice, the Delhi CEO has directed the BJP to not air anything which could impact the ongoing Lok Sabha election. In the notice, the Delhi CEO has reportedly said that airing anything that impacts the 2019 Lok Sabha elections would be a violation of Article 126 (A). “NaMo TV [sponsored by the BJP] cannot air anything that impacts the elections, violation of Article 126 (A),” the notice read. Section 126 of the Representation of the People Act “prohibits” display of any “election matter” by means of “cinematograph, television or other similar apparatus”, 48 hours before the hour fixed for conclusion of poll in a particular constituency. Delhi CEO is the nodal officer to pre-certify political content in TV channels and similar platforms which are beamed nationally. In April, the Election Commission of India (ECI) had said that the NaMo TV cannot display ‘election matter’ during the silence period prescribed in the electoral law in a particular phase of the poll. The EC had also asked the chief electoral officer of Delhi to ensure that its directions are followed in all the phases of Lok Sabha elections. Earlier, the EC had concluded that since NaMo TV is sponsored by the BJP, all recorded programmes displayed on the platform should be pre-certified by media certification and monitoring committee of Delhi and all political publicity contents being displayed without pre-certification should be removed immediately. On May 2, the BJP had sought permission from the Chief Electoral Office of Delhi to air two movies Padman and Toilet-Ek Prem Katha on NaMo TV. The Delhi poll body had then written to the Election Commission, seeking clarity whether it can certify movies already cleared by the Censor Board.