New Delhi: The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has written to the Election Commission demanding clear guidelines to media houses and survey companies conducting opinion polls in order to fix accountability.
"The Aam Aadmi Party does not favour a blanket ban on opinion polls, but would like to request the Election commission to take concrete steps for ensuring that there should be a code of conduct for the telecast/publication or opinion polls. I would request the commission to once again renew its efforts to remind the lawmakers, particularly the government to ensure that no motivated attempts are allowed to succeed to mislead the people during the forthcoming Lok Sabha elections," the letter stated.
Read below the full text of the letter.
To
Mr VS Sampath
Chief Election Commissioner
Election Commission of India
Nirvachan Sadan
New Delhi
Respected Sir,
I am writing this letter to draw your attention towards shocking revelations that have come to light in a sting operation telecast by a TV news channel News Express on February 25, Tuesday.
The programme titled "operation Prime Minister" has manipulated exposed that opinion polls can be for monetary considerations. In case the sting operation is authentic, unless proved otherwise, this menace strikes at the very root of our country's democracy, showing that now attempts are being made to even manufacture public opinion through falsehood.
I am aware of the Election commission's consistent stand against the telecast and publication of these opinion polls. I appreciate the EC,s latest stand that such polls should not be allowed after the date of notification of erections till the final phase of poling is over.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) does not favour a blanket ban on opinion polls, but would like to request the Election commission to take concrete steps for ensuring that there should be a code of conduct for the telecast/publication or opinion polls.
The EC has been pro-active in seeking changes in the Representation of the people Act to update this law for meeting fresh challenges in the conduct of free and fair erections and needs to be complimented for its efforts.
In this regard, I would request the commission to once again renew its efforts to remind the lawmakers, particularly the government to ensure that no motivated attempts are allowed to succeed to mislead the people during the forthcoming Lok sabha elections.
The AAP demands that the EC should issue clear guidelines to organisations conducting these polls and print/electronic media which intends to publish/telecast such polls for fixing the accountability of the job done by them, so that those indulging in frivolous activities don't get away easily.
Thanking you
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