Demanding stern action against Yusuf Pathan, the grand old party said the former cricketer-turn-politician is violating the model code of conduct by using posters of India’s winning moments in the 2011 Cricket World Cup for campaigning.

“This is to inform you that Yusuf Pathan, an All India Trinamool Congress candidate in the upcoming Lok Sabha Elections from Baharampur, West Bengal, has started using banners and posters and photos in different places in the said constituency, the West Bengal Congress said in a letter to chief electoral officer of the state

“It clearly depicts the ICC Cricket World Cup, 2011 winning moments where the photos of our nation’s high profile cricket celebrities are there including the likes of Bharat Ratna Sachin Tendulkar and others,” the party said.

The Congress said that the ICC Cricket World Cup 2011 winning moments are a “matter of national pride as well as the sentiment that every Indian cherishes”.

The West Bengal Congress said the 2011 World Cup win “should not be utilised during election campaigns for petty material gain. Moreover, we think that this is a gross violation of the Model Code of Conduct which has already been imposed in the country.”

 The party requested the election panel to step in and stop the “unethical and unlawful use of the photos of our national heroes during the election campaign.”

However, the former cricketer and TMC candidate defended the use of World Cup photos.

“I have won the World Cup. There are very few people who have achieved this feat. If this (the use of World Cup photos) was wrong, then Election Commission will see and the legal team will look into the matter,” Speaking to India Today TV, Pathan said,
 

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Published: 27 Mar 2024, 08:17 PM IST