Election Commission Directs Centre To Stop Sending 'Viksit Bharat' Messages Via WhatsApp

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday (21 March) directed the Centre to stop Viksit Bharat messages being sent over WhatsApp.

Union Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology has been asked by the poll panel to stop sending a letter by Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the account “Viksit Bharat Sampark” to WhatsApp users immediately.

In a letter to the MeitY Secretary, the EC also asked the Ministry to submit a compliance report immediately.

The ministry had informed the EC on 16 March that the WhatsApp messages were sent on 15 March, before the elections were announced.

“It was informed in that letter that though the letters were sent out before MCC period, but due to system architecture and network limitations it is possible that some letters have a delayed delivery,” the EC wrote, Indian Express reported.

The EC's action comes after it received several complaints about the model code of conduct (MCC) being violated by MeitY sending the messages.

“Since the MCC is now in force, you are hereby directed to ensure forthwith that no further delivery of ‘WhatsApp messages’ take place during MCC period. A compliance report in this regard may be sent immediately,” the EC said.

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