MP Cong's 'chowkidar chor hai' campaign banned by poll body

Bhopal: The Election Commission (EC) Thursday banned the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee's audio and video poll campaign which uses the phrase 'chowkidar chor hai' following objections from the BJP.

The Congress said it would request the EC to review its decision, as the campaign did not name any person.

As per an EC spokesperson, state's Joint Chief Electoral Officer Rajesh Kaul's order said that the campaign, titled 'chowkidar chor hai', was being banned as the EC's media certification and scrutiny committee decided to revoke the permission granted to it on April 5.

The BJP had complained to the poll authorities that the campaign used objectionable language against 'chowkidar', which referred to Prime Minister Narendra Modi.

Congress president Rahul Gandhi has been using the phrase 'chowkidar chor hai' (the watchman is thief) to target Modi over the Rafale fighter aircraft deal. Modi, earlier, had termed himself as nation's 'chowkidar' or watchman.