Delhi HC seeks Centre’s stand on plea to ban use of President, PM’s photo in private ads

The Delhi HC also issued a notice to the Press Council of India on a plea that sought the evolving of guidelines for private advertisers. File Photo

The Delhi High Court on Monday sought the response of the Centre on a plea to ban the use of photos of people holding constitutional posts, including the President and the Prime Minister, in private advertisements.

A bench of acting Chief Justice Gita Mittal and Justice C Hari Shankar also issued a notice to the Press Council of India on a plea that also sought the evolving of guidelines for private advertisers.

Taking note of the petition filed by Delhi resident Ajay Gautam, the bench directed the Centre’s standing counsel Anil Soni to place before it the policy in this regard. The counsel said the government was taking cognisance of the issues and appropriate steps would be taken.

The court fixed the matter for hearing on February 19 next year and said the government should place its stand by then. Citing various newspaper advertisements of private companies, Gautam said the use of pictures of the President, the Prime Minister, Governors and Chief Ministers in classified ads misguided the public at large.

“A common man falls prey and becomes a victim of such advertisements which carry messages and photographs of people holding constitutional posts…such advertisements claim support of the people holding constitutional posts. In this manner, lakhs and crores of citizens are exploited by such ads which depict messages and photos of the persons holding constitutional posts,” the plea said.

While arraying a daily national as a party to the petition, the plea alleged that the newspapers or broadcast agencies had offended standards of journalistic ethics.