PC candidate Sajad Lone gets EC notice over MCC ‘violation’

 The election authorities have slapped a show cause notice to Peoples Conference Chairman Sajad Lone, who is contesting from the Baramulla Lok Sabha seat in Jammu and Kashmir, over an alleged violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).

The Nodal Officer, MCC Kupwara, has taken serious note of Lone sharing a “promotional” video clip on social media without prior clearance from district election authorities.

The notice to Lone said a District Level Media Certification and Monitoring Committee (MCMC) was constituted for previewing, scrutinising, and verifying all the advertisements of individual contesting candidates of political parties before they are inserted in the electronic and print media during the election period to keep a check on the cases of paid news.

It added that the contesting candidates of all political parties are required to ensure pre-certification of political advertisements from the above MCMC as per the instructions.

“Nodal Officer MCMC reported a violation of the aforementioned instructions on the part of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference regarding the upload of a promotional video clip on the X handle of @sajadlone with the caption “amazing lyrics by my own very young and talented Ishfaq Ahmad of Tarathpora assisted by dynamic Bilal of Aloosa” with a duration of 7 minutes and 10 seconds without pre-certification or prior clearance from District MCMC,” the notice read.

It added that it tantamount to a clear violation of MCC on the part of the people’s conference.

“Therefore, in the above backdrop, Sajad Gani Lone, candidate of Jammu and Kashmir People’s Conference for 01-Baramulla PC, is hereby put on notice to explain why such a violation has been made at your end.

The response must reach this office within one day, failing which the matter will be reported to the office of Chief Electoral Officer Jammu and Kashmir, Srinagar, for appropriate action under rules,” the notice was issued on Friday by an additional district magistrate, who is the Nodal Officer, MCC Kupwara.