EC issues notice to Karnataka Congress on 'rate card' ads against BJP, seeks 'empirical' evidence

The notice was issued on Saturday following a complaint lodged by the BJP

The Election Commission of India (ECI) has issued notice to KPCC President D K Shivakumar for “unsubstantiated” but “specific” newspaper advertisements.

The Commission has given the party time until 7 pm of May 7, to give empirical evidence for the same. The notice is with regard to the party publishing advertisements in national and local newspapers in Karnataka with alleged rates cited for appointments and transfers by the BJP-led government in Karnataka.

In its notice, the Commission has observed that the allegations made by the Congress in the advertisements are not generic but very specific, accusing all levels of government machinery of being compromised. “This brings into disrepute the entire administration, which has the potential of fomenting a feeling of distrust and undermining the legitimacy of the governance system at large, which otherwise, inter-alia, is vital for the smooth conduct of the poll itself...” a part of the notice read.

The Commission has sought to know why action should not be initiated against the Congress for violating the Model Code of Conduct and other relevant legal provisions. The Commission’s notice is based on a complaint given by the BJP on May 5 in this regard.

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