Election Commission Halts Viksit Bharat WhatsApp Messaging Amidst Electoral Concerns

The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday instructed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to cease the dissemination of Viksit Bharat messaging through WhatsApp. The EC has demanded an immediate compliance report from MeitY regarding this directive, reported ANI.

According to the EC, numerous complaints have been lodged regarding the continued delivery of Viksit Bharat messages to citizens' mobile phones, despite the recent announcement of the General Elections 2024 and the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

MeitY's Response

In response to these complaints, MeitY has acknowledged that while the messages were dispatched before the MCC came into effect, some may have been delivered belatedly due to systemic and network constraints.

Election Commission has directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to immediately halt delivery of Viksit Bharat messaging over WhatsApp. Compliance report on the matter has been demanded immediately from MeitY: EC

The Commission had received several… pic.twitter.com/3ziyxdrF70

— ANI (@ANI) March 21, 2024

This move comes amidst heightened scrutiny of digital platforms and their role in shaping public discourse during electoral periods. The EC's decision reflects its commitment to upholding the integrity and fairness of the electoral process, ensuring that all parties adhere to the established rules and regulations.

What Was The Message That Was Sent?

On March 15, a WhatsApp message was sent from an account titled 'Viksit Bharat Sampark', which shared a letter from the "Government of India under the leadership of Hon’ble Prime Minister Shri Narendra Modi Ji," which spoke about how the citizens of the country have benefited from the various schemes of the Centre.

"Your feedback is very important to fulfill the aspirations of a Viksit Bharat. Therefore, you are requested to kindly share your feedback and suggestions," the message read.

Here's the WhatsApp message:

Here's the attached letter:

The message was sent from the contact number: +91 92755 36544 and it was registered as a 'Public and government service' account. 

Uproar Over Message

The WhatsApp message received flak from the opposition and regular users alike. In a sharp rebuke against the Government's utilisation of public data, the Congress unit in Kerala branded the communication as part of an election campaign strategy ahead of the general elections. The letter also drew criticism from opposition parties, including Trinamool Congress's Mahua Moitra, who have slammed it as a veiled attempt to promote the government's agenda under the guise of soliciting feedback.

MCC came into effect today at 1500 hrs after EC announcement.
Just received shameless campaign message from “Viksit Bharat” at taxpayer expense plugging PM letter at 20:17 hrs. Please send from BJP party account @ECISVEEP pic.twitter.com/uwwVJQ1uz6

— Mahua Moitra (@MahuaMoitra) March 16, 2024

Furthermore, the message was also sent to users from different nationalities, including that of the United Arab Emirates and Pakistan. 

Will the ⁦@ECISVEEP⁩ take note of such a blatant misuse of government machinery and government data to serve the partisan political interests of the ruling party? pic.twitter.com/wrV6iWwfsJ

— Shashi Tharoor (@ShashiTharoor) March 18, 2024