Kerala Police orders removal of social media posts related to the Election Commission letter controversy.

Thiruvananthapuram: On Tuesday, the Kerala Police directed social media platforms to remove posts made by journalists and members of opposition parties that referenced a letter from the Election Commission bearing the official seal of the BJP.

This letter bore the seal of the BJP’s Kerala unit. It was widely shared online, following which the Election Commission clarified that it was “purely a clerical error” and subsequently withdrew it. Citing provisions of the Information Technology Act, 2000, and the IT Rules, 2021, the police exercised their authority to order social media platforms—acting as intermediaries—to take down the content in question.

With the Model Code of Conduct currently in force ahead of the upcoming assembly elections, the Kerala Police is reporting to the Election Commission. In its order, the police alleged that these posts constitute a “blatant insult” to the Election Commission and “promote content that undermines communal harmony.”

They stated that the posts in question not only amount to a direct insult to a respected national institution but also pose a serious threat to public order by inciting division and hostility.
The Election Commission of India has suspended an Assistant Section Officer. This action follows the controversy surrounding an Election Commission letter—which bore the seal of the BJP’s Kerala unit—that had surfaced online. The Election Commission described the incident as “purely a clerical error,” resulting from an oversight that occurred while circulating a document submitted by a political party. The Commission further stated that the error was rectified immediately upon detection.

Providing a clarification, the Chief Electoral Officer (CEO) of Kerala explained that the BJP’s Kerala unit had recently approached the CEO’s office. They were seeking clarification regarding the 2019 guidelines concerning the publication of candidates’ criminal antecedents. Along with their request, the party had submitted a photocopy of the original 2019 directive. The party’s official seal was affixed to the specific copy of the document that they themselves had submitted.
Due to an oversight, the office failed to identify the party’s emblem on the submitted document and, inadvertently—as part of a request for clarification—distributed it to other political parties as well. The guidelines in question have undergone amendments since 2019, and all political entities had already been duly informed of these changes.

As soon as this oversight came to light, the CEO acknowledged it. Consequently, on March 21, the Deputy Chief Electoral Officer issued a formal letter withdrawing the erroneous document.
This notice of withdrawal was circulated to all political parties, District Election Officers, and Returning Officers. The CEO appealed to the public and the media to refrain from circulating misleading messages stemming from what was merely a clerical error.

The Election Commission maintains a rigorous and robust system to ensure that the electoral process remains completely free from any external interference or influence.

The CPM was the first political party to spot this error; viewing it as vindication of their oft-repeated allegation that the EC operates at the behest of the BJP, they immediately took to social media to raise the issue. A post on the CPM’s ‘X’ handle read: “Has the BJP now abandoned all pretense? It is no secret that it appears as though a single center of power controls both the Election Commission of India and the BJP. Nevertheless, at the very least, maintain the formality of keeping two separate desks.”
The CPM’s post further stated, “Much like the old allegation that no matter which button you press, only the ‘Lotus’ appears, yet another coincidence has now come to light here.” They added, “This is a first. We have often heard claims that regardless of which button is pressed on a voting machine, the light next to the Lotus symbol illuminates. However, for the first time, it now appears that both the BJP and the Election Commission are utilizing the very same official seal.”