Poll Body Asks AAP To Modify Campaign Song; What About BJP, Says Atishi

The Election Commission has told the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to modify its campaign song over complaints that it violated rules on advertising and the poll body's guidelines during the election season.

The BJP had complained to the Election Commission (EC) that the AAP's campaign song took a swipe at central investigation agencies and the party.

The AAP has been at war with the Enforcement Directorate over the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders linked to the Delhi liquor policy case, which the AAP says is a cooked up case.

"It is probably the first time that the EC has imposed a ban on a party's campaign song," AAP leader Atishi told reporters today, adding the change in content means the song in its current form can't be used.

"The song does not mention the BJP and does not violate the model code of conduct. It includes factual videos and incidents," she added.

She alleged the EC has not acted on poll code violations committed by the BJP.

"If the BJP does dictatorship, it is right. But if someone talks about it, that is wrong. This shows that democracy is in danger. I want to urge the EC to act on the (poll code) violations committed by the BJP and not stop campaigns of opposition parties," Atishi said.

The EC in its order to the AAP said the campaign song's content violated the advertising codes mentioned in the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 and ECI's guidelines and norms.

"Therefore, the said advertisement is hereby returned with the request to modify the contents..." the EC said.

The AAP's over two-minute campaign song was penned and sung by party MLA Dilip Pandey. The song was released at the party headquarters on Thursday.

The AAP has been campaigning for the Lok Sabha elections without Mr Kejriwal or his former deputy Manish Sisodia, who is also in jail in connection with the Delhi liquor policy case.

The Supreme Court is scheduled to hear on Monday a plea by Mr Kejriwal challenging his arrest. Mr Kejriwal had earlier told the Supreme Court that his "illegal arrest" in the case was an unprecedented assault on the tenets of democracy based on "free and fair elections" and "federalism".

In a rejoinder to the ED's reply on his petition challenging his arrest, Mr Kejriwal said the mode, manner and timing of his arrest just before the Lok Sabha elections when the model code had come into play, spoke volumes about the "arbitrariness" of the agency.