After Barring ‘Pappu’, Election Commission Clears Gujarat BJP Ad With Word ‘Yuvraj’

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has released a video which makes a reference of “yuvraj” to apparently target Congress vice president Rahul Gandhi, after the Election Commission barred the ruling party from using the word “Pappu” in an electronic advertisement for the upcoming Gujarat polls.

The latest advertisement, released on Wednesday on the Facebook page of the Gujarat BJP, after getting a clearance from the EC, uses the word “yuvraj” (prince) to target the Congress leader. Asked if the advertisement is the same wherein the EC had barred the BJP from using the word “Pappu”, BJP spokesperson Harshad Patel said, “I am not aware whether the advertisement released was the same one or not.” While “Pappu” is perceived as a social media slur coined to target Gandhi, BJP leaders frequently taunt the Congress scion with words like “yuvraj” or “shahzada”.

In the 49-second video which is set at a grocery store, a voice says “Sir, Sir...,” followed by the response from the shop owner’s assistant who says, “Yuvraj has come.” In his reply to the “yuvraj”, who is not seen in the clip, the shopkeeper says he will give him any grocery item but he won’t get their votes as the shop was burnt down in riots during the past rule of the Congress. In the video, the shop owner’s wife says they will vote only for Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The BJP and the opposition Congress have been targeting each other’s leaders by putting up mocking advertisements on social media with a growing frequency. Gujarat is going to polls on 9 and 14 December.

Earlier, the BJP was barred by the EC from using the word “Pappu” in an electronic advertisement, calling it “derogatory”. The BJP had said the script of that advertisement did not link the word to any individual. The media committee under the Gujarat’s Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) objected to the word mentioned in the script of the advertisement which was submitted by the party for approval last month.

“Before making any election-related advertisement, we have to submit a script to the committee to get a certificate. However, they raised objection to the word ‘Pappu’, saying it is derogatory. They asked us to remove or replace it,” a senior BJP leader had said on Tuesday. He said the party will replace the word and submit a new script for approval from the EC. (PTI)