What is the Controversy Around AAP's Poll Campaign Song & Why EC Has Asked to Modify It | EXPLAINED

New Delhi: Aam Aadmi Party's new campaign song 'Jail Ka Jawab Hum Vote Se Denge' has been surrounded by controversies, as the Election Commission has raised objection to the lyrics of the song.

As the Aam Aadmi Party's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal remains incarcerated, the party is trying to build a campaign around him, this Lok Sabha season. AAP's campaign has been aimed at garnering support in support of Kejriwal making his arrest a poll plank. While Kejriwal has been arrested by the central probe agency Enforcement Directorate (ED) in a money laundering case linked to Liquor Scam, the AAP has termed it a “political conspiracy”. 

The AAP's over two-minute campaign song has been penned and sung by AAP MLA Dilip Pandey. The song was released at the party headquarters in the national capital on Thursday. 

EC Asks AAP to Modify Poll Campaign Song 

Election Commission of India (ECI) has asked the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) to modify the content of its election campaign song- ‘Jail Ka Jawab Hum Vote Se Denge’. The poll body asked the party to modify the songs as per the Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994 and ECI guidelines and resubmit after modification, for the certification.

"The phrase "jail ke jawaab me hum vote denge" showing an aggressive mob holding the photo of Arvind Kejriwal showing him behind bars, casts aspersions on the Judiciary. Further, the said phrase appears several times in the advertisement which contravenes the provisions of ECI Guidelines and Rule 6(1\(g) of Programme and Advertising Codes prescribed under the Cable Television Network Rules, 1994," said ECI. 

Atishi Says EC Banned Poll Song 

Addressing a press conference, senior AAP leader Atishi on Sunday said, "It is probably the first time that the EC has imposed a ban on a party's campaign song." According to the EC, she said, the song shows the ruling party and investigation agencies in a bad light. "The song does not mention the BJP and does not violate the Model Code of Conduct. It includes factual videos and incidents," she added.

Atishi, who is also a Delhi government minister, accused the EC of not acting on poll code violations committed by the BJP. "If the BJP does dictatorship, it is right. But if someone talks about it, that is wrong. This shows that democracy is in danger. I want to urge the EC to act on the (poll code) violations committed by the BJP and not stop campaigns of opposition parties," she said.