EC plays censor board, edits AAP's Punjab election campaign video

The Election Commission made more than dozen cuts in a video made by Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), raising various issues including "drug problem, farmers suicides, sacrilege incidents, atrocities on Dalits", before giving its nod to the party for using in election campaign. 

"After imposing 10-12 cuts, approval has been given to the AAP for its video," said a senior officer in Punjab Chief Electoral officer's office in Chandigarh on Tuesday.

The Commission has ordered the party to delete the contents depicting "personal attacks" on Punjab Chief Minister Parkash Singh Badal, Deputy Chief Minister Sukhbir Singh Badal, cabinet ministers Bikram Singh Majithia and Sikandar Singh Maluka in the video.

Besides, directions have also been issued to remove the scenes of dead bodies of farmers who allegedly committed suicide and youth allegedly died because of drugs, the official said.

AAP, which is eyeing to wrest power in the coming assembly polls in Punjab, has prepared an about hour long video, depicting the "plight" of dalits, farmers and "drug problem".

"We have taken up the problem like atrocities on dalits,farmers' suicides, drug problem among youth," an AAP leader claimed adding that the party had also tried to expose how the state government "completely failed" in nabbing theperpetrators of sacrilege incidents that had rocked Punjab.

"In this video, victims of drug problem can be seen narrating their problems," the AAP leader said. AAP intends to show this video to the people of Punjab during election campaign.