Published Mar 24, 2026 | 5:02 PM ⚊ Updated Mar 24, 2026 | 5:32 PM
Kerala Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar
Synopsis: Kerala Police have asked social media platforms to take down posts of media outlets and public figures, including South First, over posts on an election document sent by the State Election Commission that carried the BJP Kerala unit’s seal. The notices say the posts “insult the Election Commission of India, undermine communal harmony and could harm the electoral process”. Chief Electoral Officer Rathan U Kelkar said the police have a “right to act”, even though the office has admitted the seal was a “clerical error” by ECI.
A day after the Kerala State Election Commission came under fire when it emerged that it had sent an election document bearing the BJP Kerala unit’s seal to all political parties, District Election Officers and Returning Officers in the state, the Kerala Police cyber division wrote to intermediaries seeking removal of posts by several public figures and media outlets, including South First. Intermediary platforms like X (formerly Twitter) have issued notices to account holders on the takedown demand.
It may be noted that the Kerala Police is currently under the control of Election Commission of India (ECI) since Model Code of Conduct (MCC) has been implemented in Kerala.
The Kerala police’s letter claims social media posts reporting on the issue are a “matter of grave concern” that “blatantly insults the Election Commission of India and propagates content that undermines communal harmony.”
“The post in question is not only a direct affront to a respected national institution but also poses a serious threat to public order by inciting division and hostility,” the notice, dated 24 March and issued under Section 79(3)(b) of the IT Act 2000 and 3(1)(d) of the IT Rules 2021, reads.
A copy of the notice
“Further, there is an urgent need for the immediate removal of all digital content featuring a superseded 2019 document that inadvertently contained a political party’s seal due to a clerical error, which has since been rectified.”
The notice says the posts can cause serious “harm to the electoral process and incite division and hostility among supporters of different political parties, possibly leading to serious law and order issues across the state.”
Takedown requests have also been sent to X for the posts, citing “violation of Indian law”.
The action follows even though the office of the Chief Electoral Officer, Kerala, admitted the “clerical error” on Monday and suspended an Assistant Section Officer pending investigation.
Earlier on Tuesday, Kerala CEO Rathan U Kelkar said a detailed inquiry has been initiated into the issue. He added that the ECI has “given instructions to the cyber police to act on model code of conduct violations and misinformation” and that “The Cyber Police will act if there is any violation of the IT Act and MCC.”
When asked specifically about the notice, Kelkar said, “They have the right to act. In this case, I am not aware of the notice or why it was issued. But if they spot any violations, they could act.”
Kerala Cyber Police told South First they act on the directions of the Election Commission of India and that the notices were issued to stop the spread of misinformation.
South First’s questions about the specific legal basis for the notices did not receive a response.
Earlier in the day, Kelkar said a detailed inquiry has been initiated into the issue. “An error did occur and it is being treated with utmost seriousness,” he said at a press conference, adding that the probe would be completed within 48 hours.
IAS officer PB Nooh, Additional Chief Electoral Officer in charge of the model code of conduct and media, has been appointed inquiry officer.
He will examine the circumstances that led to the lapse and identify those responsible.
“If the inquiry finds the involvement of more officers, further action will be initiated,” Kelkar said.
The CEO rejected the claim and said the department acted transparently. Political parties were informed as soon as the error came to notice, he said.
“There was no attempt to hush up the matter. The suspension and the decision to conduct a detailed inquiry show our commitment to transparency,” he said.
(Edited by Dese Gowda with inputs from Dileep V Kumar)
