This Article is From Apr 01, 2019

Arvind Kejriwal's Party Moves Poll Body Against "NaMo TV"

Last week, PM Modi, in a tweet, shared a picture which said the channel will have a "real-time coverage of PM Modi's exciting election campaign and a lot more fascinating content".

Arvind Kejriwal's Party Moves Poll Body Against 'NaMo TV'

Launched last week, the channel is devoted to the coverage of PM's speeches and rallies (File)

New Delhi:

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has written to the Election Commission against the "NaMo TV", a television channel named after Prime Minister Narendra Modi. In the letter, the party said the BJP's 24-hour channel was in violation of Model Code of Conduct. The party said the Supreme Court in its various judgements stressed on providing a "level playing field" for all political parties and the channel was in defiance of the principle.

"But defying this very cardinal principle, the Bharatiya Janata Party has launched a 24-hour channel 'NAMO TV'. It is agreed that they have money and can have own channel," Mohd Irsad, from AAP's Legal Cell, was quoted by news agency IANS.

Launched last week, the channel is devoted to the coverage of PM's speeches and rallies.

Last week, PM Modi, in a tweet, shared a picture which said the channel will have a "real-time coverage of PM Modi's exciting election campaign and a lot more fascinating content".

In the letter, the AAP asked the poll body if the BJP had sought permission for the launch of the channel.

"Can permission be granted to a party to have its own TV channel even after the Model Code of Conduct is enforced? If no permission was given by the ECI, then what action has been taken?," the AAP said in its letter to the poll panel.

It also asked if the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) had approached the Media Certification Committee, established to certify the contents and cost of a telecast.

"If not, why show-cause was not issued for the violation of the MCC?," asked the letter sent by the AAP's legal cell.

It said the Supreme Court, in various cases, had held that there had to be a level-playing field for all the political parties and the EC was entrusted with the duty to maintain it.

With inputs from agencies

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