Congress asks why EC got X to delete posts regarding electoral bond scheme

Questioning the decision of the Election Commission of India (EC) to delete a post on X (formerly Twitter) regarding the electoral bond scheme, the Congress on Wednesday said the issue raised in the post makes the government “extremely uncomfortable”.

The principal Opposition party’s remarks came after X said that the EC ordered it to take down select posts of YSR Congress Party (YSRCP), Aam Admi Party (AAP), N. Chandrababu Naidu and Bihar Deputy Chief Minister Samrat Choudhary for violation of the model code of conduct (MCC).

X takes down four posts by leaders of BJP, AAP, YSR Congress, TDP on Election Commission of India order

Supriya Shrinate, who heads the social media department of the Congress party, said the poll panel should regulate posts that promote hate speeches, religious references and crass and vulgar statements.

“So that is why it is very surprising that the EC chose to get a tweet deleted which raised the issue of electoral bonds. Why would they do that? One does not understand but obviously electoral bonds is an issue which makes the government extremely uncomfortable,” Ms. Shrinate told reporters at the AICC headquarters here.

Ms. Shrinate cited how multiple social media accounts of farmer leaders, associations and independent journalists were all “restricted” during the farmers’ movement, even when IT rules of 2021 are under contention across courts in India.

“I do want to raise that there is a pattern as far as social media platforms are concerned. This government is very uncomfortable with social media platforms, digital platforms and YouTube channels because it has been able to convert large sections of mainstream media into cheerleaders of the government that do not ask it about jobs, price rise, justice for the girl in Hathras or our athletes,” Ms. Shrinate said.

The Congress functionary claimed that Prime Minister Narendra Modi tried his best to give an explanation on the electoral bonds issue but it stopped “making sense”. Those donating to the BJP were the ones winning the big contracts. People being raided by Enforcement Directorate and Income Tax Department were donating to ensure that the action against them stopped, she claimed.

“As my leader [Rahul Gandhi] earlier today said, the Prime Minister is a champion of corruption as he was breeding graft through the electoral bonds scheme,” she alleged.