aap-s-jail-ka-jawab-vote-se-denge-not-banned-party-asked-to-modify-song

The Delhi's chief electoral officer (CEO) has rejected the claims made by the Aam Aadmi Party that the Election Commission (EC) has "banned" its Lok Sabha campaign song “Jail Ka Jawab, Vote Se Denge."

 

The Delhi CEO's office called it “factually incorrect and misleading."

 

The poll body clarified that AAP was asked to modify parts of the songs because they violated the EC's guidelines and advertising codes.

 

The Delhi CEO said the party was also informed that it could appeal to the state-level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee if it did not agree with the decision.

 

The campaign song was written and sung by AAP MLA Dilip Pandey and was released on April 25.

 

AAP senior leader Atishi said the campaign song does not mention the BJP and does not violate the Model Code of Conduct.

 

"It includes factual videos and incidents, whether it is the picture of Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest, whether it is the video of police’s misbehaviour with Manish Sisodia in the Rouse Avenue Court, whether it is the brutal detention of our volunteers in protests, everything is factual," she said at a press conference.

 

The EC has objected to some parts of the song, such as the phrase 'Tanashahi party ko hum chot denge' along with the clip showing the protesters and police clash “apparently incites violence.”

 

The phrases 'gundagardi ke khilaf vote denge' and'tanashahi karne wali party ko hum chot denge" used with the clip showing jailed AAP leader Manish Sisodia being escorted by the police tend to “present the picture of police in bad taste” and, thus, “casts aspersions on the working of…the police”, the Delhi CEO said.

 

The committee has flagged the phase “Awazein khilaf thi jo sabko jail me daal dia, has unko hi bahar rakha jisne inko maal dia. Itna lalach, itna nafrat, bhrastachari se mohabbat” as slanderous remarks. "It is a criticism of the ruling party on the basis of “unverified facts and also casts aspersion on the judiciary.”

 

It also flagged the use of the phrase "Gundo wali party chhodo" shown with pictures of other political party leaders along with their party symbol as “slanderous remarks addressed to the other party and their leader.”

 

On April 27, the Delhi CEO advised the AAP to modify the two-minute song and video accordingly.