Kerala CM Slams Police Action in BJP Seal Row, Calls It Intolerance to Criticism

Kochi: Pinarayi Vijayan on Thursday criticised the directive issued by the Election Commission of India (ECI) to initiate police action over alleged misleading content related to a document bearing a political party’s seal, terming the move as intolerance towards criticism.

The Chief Minister said the matter would be raised with the Chief Election Commissioner, urging intervention to ensure accountability and transparency in the handling of the issue.

The controversy revolves around an official communication in which the seal of Bharatiya Janata Party’s Kerala unit appeared on a document linked to the poll body. Vijayan described the incident as “unbelievable” and said it could not be dismissed as an isolated clerical lapse.

He emphasised that the findings of the ongoing inquiry, being overseen by Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar, should be made public, adding that criticism of such developments is essential in a democratic system.

Vijayan also questioned the decision to involve the police, arguing that such action could stifle dissent. He maintained that preventing criticism undermines democratic values and called on the ECI to reconsider its approach.

Meanwhile, authorities stated that certain misleading images and content continued to circulate on social media despite clarifications, prompting action to curb what was described as a misinformation campaign that could impact the integrity of the electoral process.

The issue first came to light after Communist Party of India (Marxist) flagged a document from 2019 that allegedly carried the party seal instead of the official emblem of the Election Commission.

The ECI has termed the incident a “clerical error,” stating that it was corrected promptly and that the official responsible has been suspended.