Senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader and Delhi Cabinet Minister Atishi on Sunday alleged that the Election Commission of India (ECI), ”which has become a political weapon of the BJP”, has banned the party’s campaign song ‘Jail Ka Jawab, Vote Se Denge’.”

The ECI has asked the AAP to modify the content of its election campaign song as per the Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 and ECI guidelines and resubmit after modification, for the certification.

Addressing a press conference here, Atishi said according to the ECI, the song ‘Jail Ka Jawab Vote Se Denge’ shows the ruling party (BJP) and investigation agencies in a bad light.

“This is the first time in the history of the country that the Election Commission of India has banned the campaign song of any party to stop the campaign,” she said.

Addressing a press conference here, Atishi said, “It happens only under dictatorial governments that opposition leaders are put in jail, opposition parties are prevented from campaigning, these are the characteristics of a dictatorial government.”

Showing the EC’s letter putting a ban on the campaign song, she said, “This is exactly what has happened today. Another political weapon of the BJP, the Election Commission of India, has put a ban on the AAP’s campaign song through this letter. This is probably the first time in the history of India that the poll body has banned a party’s election campaign song.”

“This is the same Election Commission which sees nothing when the BJP is making fun of the Model Code of Conduct on a daily basis. But if the AAP leaders even breathe, they are served another notice. When the BJP misuses the ED and CBI to put the opposition leaders in jail during the Model Code of Conduct, the EC has no objection to it. But if the AAP even writes it in a song, the EC raises various objections,” she added.

Atishi said the most interesting thing is that throughout the Aam Aadmi Party’s campaign song ‘Jail Ka Jawab, Vote Se Denge’, there is no mention of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s name anywhere, but the Election Commission of India says that ‘if you talk about dictatorship, this is a criticism of the ruling party.’

“That means the Election Commission of India itself believes that the BJP is running a dictatorial rule in this country,” she said.

“I want to appeal to the Election Commission to have a look at the BJP, which is violating the Model Code of Conduct daily,” Atishi said.

In its letter, the ECI has said, “The phrase “jail ke jawaab me hum vote denge” showing an aggressive mob holding the photo of Arvind Kejriwal showing him behind bars, casts aspersions on the Judiciary. Further, the said phrase appears several times in the advertisement which contravenes the provisions of ECI Guidelines and Rule 6(1\(g) of Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994. “