Opposition cries foul over ‘Viksit Bharat’ message; non-Indians got it too
People of other nationalities, including those from Pakistan, UAE, and Britain, have said they received the same WhatsApp message from "Viksit Bharat Sampark"
A WhatsApp message sent from “Viksit Bharat Sampark” after the announcement of the Lok Sabha poll dates, supposedly asking Indian citizens for feedback and suggestions, has created a controversy, with the Opposition calling it illegal and a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC).
The controversy has taken a new turn after people of other nationalities, including those from Pakistan, UAE, and Britain, have said they have received the same message.
The sender of the message is a business account, and identifies itself as the “Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology, Government of India, Electronics Niketan, 6, CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi – 110003".
Privacy concerns
Congress MP from Kerala, Shashi Tharoor, on Monday (March 18) shared a screenshot on X of a LinkedIn post by a person called Anthony J Permal, a UAE-based consultant, which said that he had received a WhatsApp message from Viksit Bharat Sampark, and that thousands of non-Indians had received the same message on their private mobile numbers in a blatant violation of privacy laws and etiquette.
“How did the BJP and the Indian government get hold of our numbers? And how can it just blatantly spam non-Indians in the thousands? So much for an ethical government,” said Anthony.
Tharoor in his post on X said, “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?”
A Pakistan national based in the US, Uzair Younus, wrote on X, “Pakistani friends seem to be receiving @narendramodi’s Viksit Bharat Sampark WhatsApp message, both in Pakistan and in UAE. Modi ji seems more eager to poll Pakistanis for their opinions than Pakistani ruling elites themselves!”
Several other people of various nationalities reported receiving the message from Viksit Bharat Sampark, with one person saying, “It left me wondering: what sort of suggestions could Mr Modi possibly need from me? And more importantly, should I even be providing them?”
Apar Gupta, lawyer and observer trustee of Internet Freedom Foundation, posted on X, “How can we expect the Digital Personal Data Protection Act 2023 to be enforced in citizen interest when the nodal ministry @GoI_MeitY sends unsolicited spam promoting the Prime Minister on your WhatsApp?”
The firebrand TMC leader Mahua Moitra on X called the campaign message “shameless”.
“MCC came into effect today at 1500 hours after EC announcement. Just received shameless campaign message from “Viksit Bharat” at taxpayer expense plugging PM letter at 20:17 hours. Please send from BJP party account,” she posted on X.
Clause VII(4) of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) states, “Issue of advertisement at the cost of public exchequer in the newspaper and other media and the misuse of official mass media during the election period for partisan coverage of political news and publicity regarding achievements with a view to furthering the prospects of the party in power shall be scrupulously avoided.”
The BJP and the EC are yet to comment on the matter.
