E-greeting cards with appeal to vote for BJP seized in Mumbai

City police Tuesday seized a huge cache of electronic greeting cards containing a recorded audio message to vote for the BJP in the Lok Sabha elections beginning April 11, an official said.

The Congress said printing and distribution of such cards with the "Army theme" and with an appeal to vote for the ruling party is a violation of the Model Code of Conduct.

The raid was conducted at Madhu Park in suburban Khar on the basis of a specific information in the presence of the flying squad of the Election Commission and local Congress leaders.

During the search, police found thousands of electronic greeting cards, the police official said, adding that each card contains an audio message in the voice purportedly of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

The surgical strike is also mentioned in these e-cards, he said.

The e-cards didn't bear names of publishers, the official said, adding that their exact quantity is being estimated.

Further action will be taken with the permission of the Election Commission, he said.

Mumbai Congress spokesperson Sachin Sawant said the e-cards bear the theme of the Army and are printed in violation of the EC's directives in this regard.

"The cards were printed by the BJP, and contain an audio message to vote for the PM. Lakhs of such illegal pamphlets using the Army as a theme and printed without the EC's permission have been seized today," he said.

Elections to all 48 Lok Sabha seats in Maharashtra will be held in four phases, beginning April 11.

April 9 is the last day of campaigning for the first phase of polls for seven constituencies.