AAP questions neutrality of Ad panel members

New Delhi, Sep 17 (PTI) Questioning the neutrality of thepanel that indicted the Delhi government for "splurging"exchequer’s money on advertisements, the AAP today alleged itwas a "ploy to defame" the Arvind Kejriwal dispensation by the"beneficiaries" of Modi government and BJP. AAP leader Ashutosh said the Central government-appointedCommittee’s remarks were an apt example of Congress and BJPcoming together as the panel gave its report on the complaintfiled by DPCC president Ajay Maken against the Delhigovernment. The three-member committee, headed by former ChiefElection Commissioner B B Tandon, had been constituted by theI&B ministry on the directions of the Supreme Court to addressissues related to Content Regulation in GovernmentAdvertising. The panel also comprised adman Piyush Pandey andjournalist Rajat Sharma. "This is nothing but a ploy to target and defame theDelhi government. The committee required people of impeccableneutrality and those who could do their job without showingany bias or partiality. "But two members of the panel are either linked to theBJP or are beneficiaries of Modi ji. So, how can one expect afair report," Ashutosh alleged even as he refrained fromattacking Tandon. He alleged that of the two panel members one is linked toBJP since his college days while the other chalked out acampaign for Modi during the 2014 Lok Sabha polls. The senior AAP leader also said the Delhi government willexplain its stand before the Supreme Court. In its report, the committee came down heavily on the AAPgovernment, saying it had splurged exchequer’s money onadvertisements projecting Kejriwal and his party in violationof the Supreme Court guidelines and asked the ruling party toreimburse. The panel had been constituted by the I&B ministry ondirections of Supreme Court to address issues related toContent Regulation in Government Advertising. PTI PR PMS RGPMS