New Delhi, April 1 (IANS) The Election Commission Wednesday clarified that it has not issued any instruction to remove from government offices photographs and images of national leaders, prominent historical personalities of the past, the president and the governors ahead of polls.
'The EC (Election Commission) wishes to clarify the misunderstanding about the instruction on March 28 about the display of photographs and images in the government offices,' Deputy Election Commissioner R. Balakrishnan told reporters here.
Media reports quoting West Bengal Chief Secretary Ashok Mohan Chakraborty Tuesday said the Election Commission order meant that even the portrait of Rabindranath Tagore had to be removed.
'The instruction is applicable in the case of displaying the photographs of the prime minister, the chief ministers, ministers and other political functionaries,' the poll panel clarified in a statement.
'However, it is not applicable with regard to the images of national leaders, poets, and prominent historical personalities of the past, and the president of India and the governors,' it said.
'The intention of the instruction was that the photographs and images of the political functionaries, who have deep influence on the minds of electors and many of whom are still active in public life and may even be contesting the current general elections, should not be displayed in the government buildings and premises as that would have the effect of disturbing the level playing field vis-a-vis the political functionaries of other parties and candidates,' it said.
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