Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray on Sunday had hit back at the Election Commission over its demand to remove words from its official campaign song with religious connotations like 'Hindu' and 'Jai Bhavani', stating that his party will not comply with the EC's demand.
A highly placed state EC officer stated to Lokmattimes.com that they have not received an official denial from the Shiv Sena (UBT) and they still hope that the party will adhere to the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) and remove the objectionable parts.
"We are pleased that all major parties submitted their advertisements and songs for pre-certification from our committee. Within its rights, the committee pointed out things that could violate the MCC and asked to remove them beforehand," the officer said.
"Several parties like Shiv Sena, NCP (Ajit Pawar), and MNS have followed those instructions," he added.
"If Shiv Sena (UBT) doesn't agree with the demand, they have the option to file an appeal with our committee. We have not officially received their response on this yet, but we hope they will remove the objectionable part," he added.
When asked about the opposition's demand for action against the BJP regarding the usage of Ram temple-related pictures and slogans on banners and hoardings, the officer said, "We (EC) have not pre-certified these advertisements."
However, there was no clear answer on whether the EC will take any action against these banners and hoardings.
The Model Code of Conduct prohibits parties and candidates from engaging in “any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic”.
Using religion to solicit votes, or making statements that aim to sow discord between communities, constitutes a breach of electoral conduct and could lead to legal action under various sections including Section 125 of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (Promoting enmity between classes in connection with election), Sections 153A, 153B, l7lC, 295A, and 505(2) of the Indian Penal Code, as well as the Religious Institutions (Prevention of Misuse) Act, 1988.