The Election Commission of India (ECI) has instructed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY) to immediately halt the sending of "Viksit Bharat" messages via WhatsApp due to the enforcement of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The ECI also instructed MeitY to submit a compliance report on the matter.
The announcement comes following ECI receiving numerous complaints regarding the continued dissemination of messages showcasing the initiatives of the Union government to citizens' phones, despite the announcement of elections and the implementation of the MCC. The MCC became effective following the announcement of the schedule for the Lok Sabha elections on March 16.
MeitY has claimed that while the messages were dispatched before the MCC took effect, some recipients may have experienced delays in receiving them due to technical and network constraints.
The WhatsApp message from 'Viksit Bharat Sampark' and featuring a letter from Prime Minister Modi, was sent to millions of people, even those living outside India. The message was not just received by Indians living in India but also to NRIs and people of other nationalities including those in Pakistan, the UAE, and the UK. The message sought feedback and suggestions from citizens regarding government schemes and policies. The attached PDF file listed various government initiatives such as the Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Ayushman Bharat, Matru Vandana Yojana, among others, while inviting input from citizens on these schemes. Additionally,