EC asks health ministry not to use Narendra Modi’s photograph on Covid vaccine certificates

Trinamul Congress had last week approached the poll panel over national-level violations of the model code of conduct

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Pheroze L. Vincent   |   TT  |   New Delhi   |    07.03.21 :  The Election Commission has asked the Union health ministry not to use Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s photograph on Covid vaccine certificates in the five poll-bound states, responding to a complaint from the Trinamul Congress.

The ministry has been given “two to three days” to modify its computer system, which generates these certificates for those who receive the vaccine, a commission source said.

Trinamul had last week approached the poll panel over national-level violations of the model code of conduct, objecting to Modi’s images being displayed at petrol pumps and on the vaccination certificates.

A senior Election Commission official told The Telegraph: “We wrote to the health ministry and they said it was a central scheme being implemented across India, and that the certificates were computer-generated. So, we wrote to them on Friday (saying) the MCC (model code of conduct) must be implemented in letter and spirit.

The official added: “We told them to come up with a solution, such as a filter in the template, within two to three days so that the (Covid vaccine) certificates printed in the poll-bound states do not carry such images during the poll period.”

The Prime Minister’s photo also appears on publicity material of the Ujjwala subsidised cooking gas scheme for households below the poverty line. In 2018, the Consortium of Indian Petroleum Dealers had said they were being compelled by PSU oil marketing companies to publicise the scheme at fuel stations.

 In recent elections, the poll panel has prohibited such display during the election period.

On Wednesday, the Election Commission gave fuel stations 72 hours to remove or cover up these photos in Assam, Bengal, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry, where the poll process has begun.

Clause 4 of Paragraph VII of the model code of conduct prohibits, during elections, government advertisements that seek “publicity regarding achievements”. The poll panel has used this to order the removal of similar publicity even from government websites during polls.

A health ministry source said: “We will peruse the instructions of the ECI (Election Commission of India) and then comply with the directions.”