TV serials under sharp lenses..! EC asks politically influential content to be examined before it gets telecast

Mumbai, April 16: Accused of espousing and promoting the government's schemes, the Election Commission in Maharashtra have asked the production houses of two Hindi serials to get politically influential content examined with them before it is telecast. Meanwhile, the producers have been asked to not to show any such content which may disturb the level playing field of any political party.

 

“The production houses should get politically influential content checked from election officials before using it in the serials. The content telecast was a clear violation of the model election code”, said Maharashtra's additional Chief Electoral Officer Dilip Shinde, in an official order issued on Monday.

 

In the wake of the Lok Sabha elections and the campaigns set abide, the Congress earlier had taken objection to characters in the two TV serials praising government schemes like Pradhan Mantri Ujjwala Yojana, Swacch Bharat Abhiyan and Pradhan Mantri Mudra Yojana.

 

After this, the office of Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) had served notices to Binaifer Kohli and Sanjay Kohlis Edit II Productions for a TV series Bhabhiji Ghar Par Hai and Sonali Potnis and Aamir Jaffers Full Media House for TV serial Tujhse Hai Raabta. The duo had subsequently replied to the notice denying the allegations of promoting government schemes to propagate a political party, claiming they had no such intention. They also claimed that government schemes shown were general in nature.