Viksit Bharat messages: Controversy over letter from PM Modi on WhatsApp explained in 10 points

Amid a political slugfest over Prime Minister Narendra Modi-led government's 'Viksit Bharat' messages, the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday directed the Centre to "immediately halt" sending bulk WhatsApp messages.

The Centre's 'Viksit Bharat Sampark' message on WhatsApp highlighted the National Democratic Alliance government's development initiatives.

What is the 'Viksit Bharat' message?

The Viksit Bharat Sampark is a "letter from Prime Minister Narendra Modi", sent by the Government of India on WhatsApp.

"In the last 10 years, all 140 crore Indians have benefited from various schemes and policies of the Government, and will continue to do so in the future as well," the message read as the Modi government sought support and suggestions for building a ‘Viksit Bharat’.

Also read: Did you get PM Modi's 'Viksit Bharat Sampark' letter on WhatsApp? People in Pakistan, UAE received it too

Here is all you need to know about the 'Viksit Bharat' message:

• It was not just Indians who received it, several non-Indians from different countries like the UAE, Pakistan, and Britain have also claimed to have received PM Modi's message on their smartphones.
• The PDF document attached with the message mentions government schemes like Ayushman Bharat, Pradhan Mantri Awas Yojana, Matru Vandana Yojana, etc. 
• The Trinamool Congress (TMC) was the first political party to raise an issue over the message. On March 18, the TMC said the message was a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
• TMC MP Saket Gokhale wrote a letter to IT Ministry Secretary S Krishnan saying that millions of WhatsApp users had received the letter from an account named “Viksit Bharat Sampark” after the Model Code of Conduct came into effect on March 16 following the announcement of Lok Sabha elections 2024.
• TMC leader Mahua Moitra wrote on X: “MCC came into effect today at 1500 hrs after EC announcement. Just received shameless campaign message from “Viksit Bharat” at taxpayer expense plugging PM letter at 20:17 hrs. Please send from BJP party account @ECISVEEP”
• Several users in India and abroad have also expressed concerns about ‘data breach’ after receiving PM Modi's letter on WhatsApp. "How did the BJP and the Indian government get a hold of our number?" UAE-based consultant Anthony J Permal asked.
• Congress MP Shashi Tharoor, while sharing Permal's post, called the message a "blatant misuse of government machinery". “Will the @ECISVEEP take note of such a blatant misuse of government machinery and government data to serve the partisan political interests of the ruling party," he wrote on X (formerly Twitter).
• Congress MP Manish Tewari wrote on X: “This unsolicited WhatsApp message came at 12.09 AM today. It seems to be from @GoI_MeitY (Ministry of Electronics & IT). Is this not a blatant violation of both Model Code of Conduct & Right to Privacy."
• On Thursday, the Election Commission of India directed the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology to "immediately halt" sending the 'Viksit Bharat' messages on Whatsapp after it received complaints. The ECI termed the move as a decision taken to ensure a level playing field.
• The ECI has also sought a compliance report on the matter from MeitY.
• The IT ministry, responding to the ECI, said that the Modi government had sent the 'Viksit Bharat Sampark' before the Model Code of Conduct came into force. ".... some of them could have possibly been delivered to recipients with a delay because of systemic and network limitations," the ministry said.

(With agency inputs)