Ensure stricter regulation of online political content: Cong

Congress today strongly urged Election Commission to ensure effective regulation of social media, the move coming in light of Narendra Modi's extensive use of internet fora to attack the UPA government.
In a communication to EC, the party alleged that several individuals and groups misuse the internet in order to directly or indirectly malign their political opponents.
Maintaining that such acts interfered in the fair and smooth conduct of polls, Secretary of AICC's Legal Department, KC Mittal, in a letter to Chief Election Commissioner VS Sampath, has requested that guidelines be issued expeditiously to regulate objectionable content on social media.

"It is a well-known fact that... Individuals and groups post objectionable content on the internet related to political parties, their candidates and leaders, which is not permissible under law.
"Such content not only violates the Model Code of Conduct but even constitutes criminal offences under various penal laws. They are often surrogated and posted with a design to cause harm to a particular candidate or party," Mittal states in the letter.
Although there were repeated complaints over this during the recent Assembly elections, adequate and necessary steps have not been taken so far, he added.

He pointed out that in its circular dated Oct. 25, 2013, EC deferred a decision on the further course of action in this regard in consultation with the Ministry of Communication and Information Technology.

In the circular, EC had issued instructions regarding the use of social media for poll campaigns, touching on aspects such as the disclosure of email IDs and social media accounts of candidates, precertification of political advertisements, inclusion of expenditure through internet and application of Model Code of Conduct to internet and social media content.
Mittal noted that, however, "these instructions deal with candidates and political parties only".
"Insofar as the content posted by people other than candidates and political parties is concerned, the matter is still under consideration of the commission.
"So far, this is a grey area which needs to be regulated by (EC) for smooth and fair conduct of elections," Mittal said.