The Election Commission had conveyed to the apex court
that it was proposing to limit political advertisements in electronic
media to registered political parties and contesting candidates. As
reported by indiantelevision.com, the Commission also conveyed
to the court that all political advertisements would be vetted by
it seven before their
actual screening. This suggestion too hasn’t found much favour
with the SC.
Interestingly, the EC suggested in the court through its counsel
that Gemini TV, which had approached the high court for stay on
Rule 7(3) of Cable TV Network (Regulation) Act that banned political
advertising on TV, was a proxy for political parties who themselves
did not want to come to the court.
Reiterating continuance of its earlier order banning all "offensive
and slanderous" political advertisements on cable TV networks
and TV channels, a bench comprising Chief Justice VN Khare, Justice
SB Sinha and Justice SH Kapadia wanted the EC to fine tune its guidelines
while questioning as to "how any citizen could be deprived
of his right to put an advertisement in the electronic media?"
agency reports stated quoting from the court proceedings.
Posting for Monday, further hearing on the appeal filed by the information
and broadcasting ministry challenging an Andhra Pradesh High Court
order allowing political advertisements on TV, the Bench took note
of Attorney General Soli J Sorabjee's suggestion that the guidelines
required "fine tuning," agencies reported.
Appearing for the EC, senior advocate KK Venugopal said it is not
possible to put in place a "foolproof" mechanism to monitor
political advertisements within such a short span of time and advocated
continuance of the ban on all political advertisements under Section
7(3) of the Cable TV Network Rules, 1994.
Political parties should not fire from the shoulder of a cable
operator for stay of Rule 7(3), he said but added that EC would
abide by apex Court's suggestions.
Meanwhile, deputy prime minister LK Advani, on his rath yatra of
the country today said his government would consider promulgation
of an ordinance on the issue of banning opinion and exit polls if
the Election Commission approached it for the same, news agencies
reported from Patna.
"I am on Bharat Uday Yatra. I cannot tell much about it but
the government will definitely consider promulgating an ordinance
to ban the opinion and exit polls provided the Commission moots
such proposal," he told a press conference in Bihar.
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