Radio advertisements: Prashant Bhushan slams AAP for violating SC orders

Senior advocate Prashant Bhushan on Thursday alleged that the Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government's move to spend Rs. 520 crores on FM radio advertisements was in complete violation of the Supreme Court's orders.

Bhushan said that the apex court would soon take note of this matter.

"The Supreme Court's order does not merely prohibit use of photographs of political leaders. It also prohibits use of government ads and public money in promoting a political party or its leaders or a government and using it against opposition parties etc. The TV advertisement brought in by the Kejriwal government was in complete violation of the Supreme Court's orders. It amounts to contempt of court. To think that you can do anything by way of a radio because it does not carry a photograph would be total misunderstanding of the Supreme Court order," Bhushan told ANI here.

"If the radio advertisement is used to publicise and promote a party or a government or a political leader, that will be in violation of the Supreme Court's orders and this matter would be brought soon to the notice of the Supreme Court that this is how the parties are violating the letter and spirit of the Supreme Court's orders," he added.

The AAP has reportedly set aside Rs. 520 crore to fund its radio advertisements over the current financial year, in which Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal will address the people of Delhi and share his government's work.

The ads, which will run with the tagline 'Jo Kaha, So Kiya', will refer to his party's pre-poll promises and the steps taken by the government to implement them.

Earlier this year, the Supreme Court had ruled that only photographs of the President, the Prime Minister and the Chief Justice can be used for government advertisements which are being paid for by public funds.