Former Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal on Monday urged the Election Commission to issue guidelines to news channels on the broadcasting of ‘doctored’ opinion polls. In a separate letter, he also asked the News Broadcasting Standards Authority to probe the role of some news channels in broadcasting these ‘manipulated’ opinion polls.
‘The AAP demands that the Election Commission should issue clear guidelines to organisations conducting these polls, and to the media which intends to publish or telecast such polls for fixing the accountability of the job done by them, so that those indulging in frivolous activities don’t get away easily,’ said Kejriwal in a statement. He though said that AAP does not favour a blanket ban on opinion polls. ‘But it would like to request the Election Commission to ensure that there should be a code of conduct for the opinion polls,’ he said.
In letter to NBSA Chairperson Justice (retired) R V Raveendran, Kejriwal urged to get the allegations made in sting ‘Operation Prime Minister’ carried out by a TV news channel and telecast on 25 February examined and conduct an enquiry into the role of news channels in broadcasting ‘manipulated’ polls. Kejriwal wrote, ‘The AAP firmly believes that criminal investigation should be carried out by a special investigation team, preferably monitored by the Supreme Court to verify all the allegations contained in this sting.’
‘The AAP demands that the Election Commission should issue clear guidelines to organisations conducting these polls, and to the media which intends to publish or telecast such polls for fixing the accountability of the job done by them, so that those indulging in frivolous activities don’t get away easily,’ said Kejriwal in a statement. He though said that AAP does not favour a blanket ban on opinion polls. ‘But it would like to request the Election Commission to ensure that there should be a code of conduct for the opinion polls,’ he said.
In letter to NBSA Chairperson Justice (retired) R V Raveendran, Kejriwal urged to get the allegations made in sting ‘Operation Prime Minister’ carried out by a TV news channel and telecast on 25 February examined and conduct an enquiry into the role of news channels in broadcasting ‘manipulated’ polls. Kejriwal wrote, ‘The AAP firmly believes that criminal investigation should be carried out by a special investigation team, preferably monitored by the Supreme Court to verify all the allegations contained in this sting.’