Citing EC order, DMK urges state to stop ad blitz

Referring to the circular of state Chief Electoral Officer Satyabrata Sahoo sent on Saturday to all recognised political parties, citing the October 7, 2016 guidelines issued by the EC, DMK organising secretary RS Bharathi said the circular would be applicable to the advertisements released by Tamil Nadu government, projecting AIADMK and its joint-coordinator Edappadi K Palaniswami.

Quoting the 2016 order which directs political parties not to “henceforth either use or allow the use of any public funds or public place or government machinery for carrying out any activity that would amount to advertisement for the party or propagating the election symbol allotted to the party,” Bharathi, in a statement issued on Sunday, said, “I urge Tamil Nadu government to fully comply with the guidelines issued by the EC and at least henceforth not issue advertisements supporting the AIADMK and its joint coordinator Edappadi Palaniswami.” 

Bharathi, who attributed the CEO’s circular to the complaint DMK had filed in this regard recently, said the advertisement campaign promoting Palaniswami and his party was being done using tax payer’s money to the tune of Rs 1,000 crore. He also added that the AIADMK was using the power and money of the government to popularise Palaniswami and secure electoral gains in the ensuing Assembly poll. 

The DMK organising secretary also cited the order his party had obtained in the Madras High Court against the use of AIADMK leaders’ images in distribution of Pongal gift tokens through fair price shops.