‘WE CAN’T STOP INDIVIDUAL USE OF SOCIAL MEDIA BEFORE POLLS’

MUMBAI: The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday informed the Bombay high court that the prohibition on campaigning during the 48 hours prior to voting in the general elections equally applied to political advertisements on social media. The ECI counsel, Pradeep Rajagopal, however, said individuals cannot be prohibited from using social media and posting their opinions online during this period.

Rajagopal said Section 126 of the Representation of Peoples Act, 1951 prohibited any form of electioneering during the 48 hours before polling and the prohibition is applicable to electronic media, including social media. He informed the division bench of chief justice Naresh Patil and justice Nitin Jamdar that there will be a mechanism in place to ensure registered political parties or candidates will not display advertisements on social networking sites. But, individuals cannot be restrained from using social media or posting opinions online during this blackout period. “One just cannot stop individuals,” he said.

He was responding to a public interest litigation (PIL) filed by advocate Sagar Suryawanshi seeking directions from ECI to restrain social media from carrying political advertisements during the 48 hours prior to voting in general polls. The court directed ECI to file an affidavit on steps it proposed to take to prohibit political advertisements on social media during the 48 hours and posted the PIL for Monday.