The Rashtrapati Bhavan has written to Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi to ensure that political parties did not use the President’s photographs for political purposes or link him to any political party in any manner for political goals.
In a letter to Chief Election Commissioner Nasim Zaidi, the President’s secretary Omita Paul referred to the news items in some national dailies which said that Mukherjee’s pictures were displayed on Congress posters and these were under EC scanner. The reports said that photographs of the President had been used in hoardings along with those of leaders of a political party, which is being looked into the ludhiana Deputy Commissioner and the District Election Officer for any possible violation of any law.
The letter says that the President is above party politics and neither his photo nor anything related to him in his capacity as the President can or should be used for any political purposes.
“This has reference to a news item that appeared today in two national dailies captioned ‘Pranab pictures on Congress posters under EC scanner’. The news items also reported that the photo of the President in hoardings alongwith other leaders of a political party is being looked into by the ludhiana Deputy Commissioner and the District Election Officer for any possible violation of any law,’ the letter says. All political parties should desist from ever linking the President to any political party in any manner for political goals,’ it says. ‘It is requested that necessary steps may be taken to ensure this neutrality of the Office of the President of India is not breached in any manner,” the letter read.