DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Anurag Agarwal said that the administration of all the districts and Chief Electoral Office of Haryana is fully committed to conducting the Lok Sabha general elections in the state in a transparent and fair manner. In accordance with directives from the Election Commission of India, vigilant monitoring of social media activities is underway by multiple teams, including the Cyber Cell, to ensure adherence to the Model Code of Conduct.

In addition, the cost of advertisements broadcast through social media will also be added to the account of the concerned candidate or party.

He said that during the enforcement of the code of conduct, no candidate or party can directly or indirectly disseminate misleading election material. Violations of the Model Code of Conduct will not be tolerated, and appropriate action will be taken against anyone found contravening the rules.

Anurag Agarwal said that the model code of conduct will remain in effect until the elections conclude, stressing that no individual is permitted to breach this code. To ensure adherence to the code, several teams have been established, rigorously monitoring all activities. These teams maintain a vigilant watch over various social media platforms, including YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, and WhatsApp groups. He said that during elections, campaigning extends to social media platforms, akin to newspapers, television, and radio, incurring expenses. Such expenditures are accounted for and added to the respective candidate or party. In accordance with the Election Commission's directives, district-based teams will actively monitor social media during this election cycle.

Any detected advertisements will be promptly reported, detailing the associated expenses to the expenditure monitoring team. Based on these reports, the cost of the advertisement will be added to the relevant candidate or party's account.

He stressed the significance of social media monitoring during elections, noting that candidates and parties often conduct campaigns on platforms such as YouTube. If the monitoring team identifies videos on such platforms that unilaterally claim or endorse the victory of any candidate or political party, or advocate for a specific caste or religion, or present misleading material violating the Model Code of Conduct, appropriate action will be taken against the respective YouTube channel operator under the IT Act.
(editor@dailyworld.in)