The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Sunday ordered the state poll chief to remove a video posted by the Jharkhand BJP on social media platforms, saying it violated the Model Code of Conduct in force for the November 20 assembly elections.

The poll panel’s decision came on a complaint by the Jharkhand government Mukti Morcha and its Congress ally. The JMM and the Congress, in their complaint to the poll panel on Sunday, objected to the “misleading and divisive” video posted by Jharkhand BJP.

Taking note of the complaint, the EC directed the Jharkhand CEO to direct the social media companies including X/Twitter to immediately remove the posts through the designated authority of the state under Section 79(3)(b) of the Technology Act the information. . It also asked the state survey chief to also send a notice to BJPand submit an action taken report.

“Therefore, it is directed to take immediate action in accordance with existing laws and procedures and then direct the concerned social media platforms through the designated authority in the State of Jharkhand under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act to remove said posts immediately. You are simultaneously and further requested to issue an appropriate notice to BJP Jharkhand to explain the alleged violation of MCC provisions by the party due to their posts on the said social media. The parties may be requested to relinquish the said post immediately,” the ECI letter said.

Jharkhand CEO K Ravi Kumar said a takedown notice was sent to X/Twitter at around 11 am on Sunday and an FIR was also lodged, much before the ECI sent a communication to the office or.

The tweet that the ECI wants removed was posted by BJP’s official handle Jharkhand X (@BJP4Jharkhand) on November 16. The 54-second video shows a group of apparently poor Muslims arriving at the home of a wealthy Hindu family who voted for the JMM, and taking over their home. It ends with two people from a ‘basti’ telling the house owner, ‘The people you voted for brought these people here. … why should our “bastion” be the only one to be destroyed? And your house should be destroyed.”

The video, which was also posted by BJP Jharkhand’s Facebook account, shows a poster outside the house endorsing JMM with a photograph of a person who looks like Hemant Soren. The poster reads, “Pure Jharkhand ka kaya palat kar denge (we will change the composition of the entire Jharkhand)”. Both the Congress and the JMM complained to the ECI on Sunday.

Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act allows the “appropriate” government or “its agency” to issue takedown orders to intermediaries for illegal content. HT could not find any public order or notification designating an officer under Article 79(3)(b) for the state of Jharkhand.

The JMM, in its complaint, said the video “is full of baseless allegations and falsehoods whose sole purpose is to unduly influence the voters to discourage them from voting for any opposition party and for the BJP to make unfair electoral gains in the state of Jharkhand. “. The JMM said the video violates “ECI guidelines against hate speech, disinformation and defamatory content in the digital sphere” and that the Jharkhand BJP’s tweet poses “a serious threat to the integrity of the democratic process and undermines voter confidence.” “.

The Congress said the video “propagates a false narrative about members of a particular religious community” and “directly invokes religious identity as an appeal/vote appeal”, violating the MCC and the Representation of the People Act, 1951.