The Election Commission recently ordered the Central Government to halt the mass distribution of WhatsApp messages under the "Viksit Bharat Sampark" program, which was designed to promote the government's accomplishments.

This order was given to the Secretary of the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology following complaints about the program. The Commission's decision is part of a broader effort to maintain fair competition.

The Commission has requested that the government ensure no more mass WhatsApp messages are sent out and has asked for an immediate report confirming compliance with this request.

Viksit Bharat
Image : Ommanorama

The Ministry had previously informed the Commission that these messages, which included a letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, were sent before the Model Code of Conduct was implemented on March 16, coinciding with the announcement of the Lok Sabha election schedule. The Ministry explained that due to the way the system is set up and network constraints, some letters might have been delivered late.

The Commission had received numerous complaints about these messages, which highlight the government's initiatives, being sent to citizens' phones even after the announcement of the 2024 parliamentary elections and the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct.

Both the Congress and the Trinamool Congress objected to the message and asked the Election Commission to take action against what they called a "blatant violation" of the Model Code of Conduct.

Earlier this week, the Chief Electoral Officer of Chandigarh forwarded a complaint about the mass WhatsApp messages to the Election Commission for "appropriate action".

According to an official statement released on Tuesday, the district media certification and monitoring committee found preliminary evidence of a violation of the Model Code of Conduct after examining the complaint. The complaint was submitted via the cVIGIL mobile application of the Election Commission.

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