As Oppn mounts pressure to defer release of Modi’s biopic, all eyes on EC

New Delhi, Mar 26 :After opposition parties, including the Congress, objected to the release of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s biopic, ‘PM Narendra Modi’, during election, all eyes are whether the Election Commission will take this issue forward.
Earlier, Delhi Chief Electoral Office had sent a notice to the producers of the movie, which is set to be released on April 5, seeking their reply on the violation of the Model Code of Conduct by publishing advertisements for the movie without prior permission.
In a suo motu move on March 20, East Delhi returning officer K Mahesh had issued notices to production house of the movie and two leading newspapers for publishing advertisements of the film, citing the concerned parties did not get pre-certification by the Media Certification and Monitoring Committee, which amounts to violation of Model Code of Conduct.
The Delhi electoral body had given time to the makers of the film till March 30 to explain their version and also asked the Election Commission to put out guidelines for the release of political films during the election time.
The Congress on Monday approached the Election Commission, alleging that the biopic is political and the aim is getting mileage ahead of Lok Sabha elections and demanded to defer the release date of the movie.
“A film being made on Narendra Modi, to be launched just a few days before election, its purpose is political. Three producers and actor belong to the BJP, and the director is involved in Vibrant Gujarat”, said Congress leader Kapil Sibal.
Earlier, the DMK, NCP and CPI also demanded the poll body to defer the release date of the movie, citing the violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
However, the Election Commission is yet to respond to the demand that release date to be postponed. UNI