DW BUREAU / Chandigarh

Haryana Chief Electoral Officer Pankaj Agarwal said that both the Office of the Chief Electoral Officer of Haryana and the District Administration are fully committed to ensuring that the Haryana Assembly elections are conducted transparently and fairly. Various teams are closely monitoring social media platforms, in line with the Election Commission of India's directives, to ensure adherence to the Model Code of Conduct. Expenses for advertisements circulated via social media will also be added to the accounts of the respective candidates or parties.

He said that during the code of conduct period, no candidate or party is permitted to directly or indirectly disseminate misleading election materials. Strict action will be taken against those found violating these rules.

Agarwal further stated that the Model Code of Conduct will remain in effect until the elections are completed, and no violations will be tolerated. Various teams have been established to ensure compliance.

These teams are keeping a close watch on social media platforms such as YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp groups, and X. He added that, just like newspapers, television, and radio, social media is also used for election promotion, and the associated expenses will be added to the accounts of the concerned candidates or parties.

The Chief Electoral Officer stated that the district-level teams, formed according to the Election Commission's directives, will monitor social media during the elections. If any advertisement is detected, it will be reported to the expenditure monitoring team, and the expenses will be added to the respective candidate's or party's account.

Agarwal emphasised the importance of monitoring social media during elections. Candidates and parties frequently use social media platforms such as YouTube for promotion. If the monitoring team identifies any content favouring a particular caste, religion, or spreading misleading information that violates the Model Code of Conduct, action will be taken against the operators of the concerned YouTube channels.

The Chief Electoral Officer also said that the Model Code of Conduct applies equally to all forms of media, including newspapers, television, radio, and social media. Any news published or broadcasted must remain impartial. The media should refrain from publishing or airing content that favours or opposes any religion, caste, or community.
(editor@dailyworld.in)