BJP’s ad campaign attempting to link opposition party to George Soros: Congress urges EC to take action

The Congress on Tuesday filed a formal complaint against the BJP alleging that it is trying to malign the image of the opposition party by using cropped and distorted videos in its advertisement campaign. The Grand Old Party further stated that the BJP is maliciously attempting to link the Congress campaign to billionaire financier George Soros.

A delegation of party leaders comprising Salman Khurshid, Pawan Khera and Gurdeep Sappal on Tuesday met the Election Commission and handed over a memorandum of their complaints to them. They further urged the Election Commission to take immediate action against the authors and issue instructions for recall.

Speaking about it later, AICC General Secretary (Communications) Jairam Ramesh said, “The party lodged a complaint against the BJP’s repeated and malicious use of cropped and distorted videos to malign the INC. The ECI was requested to take immediate action against the authors of this low-level campaign, as well as issue instructions for its recall.”

"The Congress Party lodged a complaint against the BJP’s malicious attempts to link the Congress campaign to George Soros," Ramesh said.

"This complaint covers other examples of false propaganda that target the INC as well. Not only are these materials patently false, they are also mala fide and knowingly defamatory. The ECI was requested to take immediate action against the authors of this low-level campaign, as well as issue instructions for its recall," he said in a post on X.

The opposition party has also complained against the alleged violation of the model code of conduct for elections in Andhra Pradesh, where assembly and Lok Sabha polls are held together. It claimed posters and advertisements of state schemes were still bearing the photos of the state chief minister.

The Congress submitted its position that no welfare beneficiaries should be denied their benefits during the course of the election in the state of Andhra Pradesh, a position which the Election Commission appreciated, he said.