Central Bureau of Communication Funded Ads Mirroring Campaign Slogans: Report

Newsreel Asia Insight #229
May 22, 2024

A media report points to the use of taxpayer money by the Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) to fund advertisements that closely mirror the campaign slogans of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). This expenditure of nearly 387 million rupees by the CBC, a non-partisan government body, blurs the lines between state and party, thereby undermining the principles of democratic fairness and institutional integrity.

The CBC spent the amount on advertisements featuring slogans such as “Modi sarkar ki guarantee” (Modi government’s guarantee) and “Modi ka parivar” (Modi’s family), which were designed to echo the BJP’s campaign messages like “Modi ki guarantee” (Modi’s guarantee), says a report by Al Jazeera.

These advertisements, paid for with public funds, were broadcast across various media platforms, promoting the government’s achievements in a manner that aligned with the BJP’s electoral narrative.

The fundamental principle of democratic elections is the maintenance of a level playing field for all political parties. When the ruling party uses government resources to fund advertisements that closely mimic their campaign slogans, it undermines this principle. This not only gives the ruling party an unfair advantage but also erodes public trust in the neutrality of governmental institutions.

Besides, tax money is intended to be used for public goods and services, not for political gain. The CBC’s expenditure represents a misallocation of public funds. This practice diverts resources that could otherwise be invested in essential services such as healthcare, education and infrastructure.

As highlighted in an Insight from March 2024, India’s battle with child malnutrition has reached a critical juncture, positioning the country alongside West African nations notorious for high levels of food deprivation among infants. A study, drawing on government data, has placed India’s prevalence of so-called “zero-food” children at an alarming 19.3%. Zero-food children are defined as infants or toddlers aged between six months and 24 months who have not consumed any milk or solid or semi-solid food over a 24-hour period.

Further, the independence of government institutions is crucial for the health of a democracy. The use of taxpayer money for party politics reflects a broader pattern of the ruling party attempting to co-opt state machinery for its own benefit. This poses a threat to democratic governance by concentrating power and influence within the ruling party.

A healthy democracy relies on a system of checks and balances to prevent any single entity from gaining too much power. When the lines between state and party are blurred, it weakens these checks and balances. This concentration of power can lead to authoritarian tendencies, where the ruling party can act with impunity, undermining the democratic process.

The significant increase in the CBC’s budget and the subsequent surge in digital political advertising reveal gaps in India’s regulatory framework for electoral spending.

Despite guidelines from the Supreme Court that government advertising should not promote political interests, the practice persists.

In the “Common Cause v. Union of India” case in 2015, the Supreme Court issued several key guidelines to ensure that government advertising remains neutral and does not promote political interests.

The Court mandated that government ads should not feature the photographs or names of political leaders. Of course, the exception to this rule was the President, the Prime Minister, the Chief Justice of India and other dignitaries who are appointed by the Constitution, but it also stated that the content of government ads should not include any party symbols, logos or flags that could be associated with political parties. And that government ads should not be used to project the personalities or achievements of political leaders or the ruling party.

While the misuse of public funds for political campaigns is not new in India, the current scale and sophistication of these efforts set a concerning precedent. Historical instances, such as the disqualification of Prime Minister Indira Gandhi in 1975 for similar offences, show the persistent challenge of ensuring fair elections.