Daijiworld Media Network – New Delhi
New Delhi, Mar 21: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to immediately cease the delivery of 'Viksit Bharat' messaging via WhatsApp. Additionally, the ECI has requested an immediate compliance report from the ministry.
The directive issued on Thursday, follows numerous complaints received by the EC, stating that messages promoting government initiatives are still being sent to citizens' phones despite the commencement of the General Elections 2024 and the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
In response to these complaints, the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) informed the commission that while the messages were dispatched before the MCC came into effect, some may have been delivered to recipients with a delay due to systemic and network constraints.
This decision is part of the commission's efforts to ensure a fair electoral process and maintain a level-playing field in the upcoming Lok Sabha elections.