PM Modi's photo on Covid-19 vaccine certificates violates poll code, TMC tells EC

BJP state President Dilip Ghosh termed it as "baseless" and said the vaccination drive had started before the announcement of the election dates

The Trinamool Congress (TMC) on Wednesday lodged a complaint with the Election Commission (EC) alleging that Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photo on Covid-19 vaccination certificates and advertisements of Central schemes was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

A TMC delegation headed by Urban Development Minister Firhad Hakim met the EC officials in Kolkata and sought their intervention in this regard.

“The photos of the prime minister, who is the star campaigner of the BJP in West Bengal Assembly elections, on Covid-19 vaccination certificates and hoardings with advertisements of various Central government projects are a shameless violation of government machinery,” said Hakim.

Speaking to reporters after the meeting the EC officials, he said that the prime minister as a BJP leader will be seeking votes for the party in the Assembly elections and in such a situation his photos on Covid-19 vaccination certificates is tantamount to attempting to influence voters and violate the Model Code of Conduct.

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“We have sought the EC’s intervention in this regard and urged them to ensure that the prime minister’s photo gets removed from the hoardings displaying advertisements of various Central government schemes at petrol pumps and other places,” said Hakim on Tuesday.

The development comes a day after TMC MP Derek O’ Brien alleged that the prime minister’s photo was used in Covid-19 vaccination cards even after the announcement of poll dates.

“Elections declared. PM photo still brazenly appearing on #COVID19 documents. Trinamool @AITCofficialtaking this up strongly with Election Commission @ECISVEEP, tweeted O’Brien on Wednesday.

Denying the allegation, state BJP president Dilip Ghosh said the vaccination drive started before the announcement of the poll dates adding that the hoardings with the advertisement of Central government projects were put up on private lands.

“When a government project starts before the poll dates are announced it can continue in the same way. The hoardings at petrol pumps with advertisements of the Centre’s welfare schemes are put on private land. These are all baseless allegations. The EC will take a call on the issue,” said Ghosh.