POLITICAL ADVERTISEMENTS: BALANCING FREE SPEECH

CONCERNS IN LIGHT OF COMMON CAUSE V. UNION OF

INDIA
I. INTRODUCTION
Political advertising in India can credit its beginning to the seventies with Indira Gandhis
Garibi Hatao ca!aign. Political advertising is disting"ished #ro Governent advertising in
the sense that Governent advertising see$s to in#or the !"blic abo"t vario"s schees and
!rograes b"t !olitical advertiseetns are "sed to canvass s"!!ort o# the !"blic "sing ads.
However% the distinction betweeen the two has bl"rred signi#icantl& and it soeties becoes
di##ic"lt to deterine whether an ad is !"blic service essaging or !olitical advertising.
'ltho"gh the (lection Coission !revents the Governent #ro s!ending #"nds #ro the
!"blic e)che*"er d"ring election season
+
% d"ring o##,election season the !art& in !ower has no
s"ch restrictions !laced on itsel#. This !olic& de#icienc& has been disc"ssed in the case o#
Common Cause v Union of India
2
.
II. -R(( .P((CH O- PO/ITIC'/ P'RTI(.
The iss"e o# #ree s!eech in the conte)t o# !olitical advertiseents brings o"t an i!ortant iss"e
o# the right to #ree s!eech o# !oltical !arties. Right to #ree s!eech0#reedo o# e)!ression is
covered "nder Right to -reedo "nder 'rticle +1
2
o# the Constit"tion altho"gh the right is not
absol"te in nat"re and reasonable restrictions can be i!osed. Political !arties in !ower believe
the& have the right to "se the Governetn #"nds to dis!la& in#oration abo"t the vario"s
schees and acheiveents ade d"ring their governance. (ven vario"s P"blic .ector
Underta$ings !"blish s"ch advertiseents. I!ortant !olitical !esonalities ro"tinel& #ind a !lace
in s"ch advertiseents. 'ltho"gh s"ch advertiseents are as*"eraded as advertiseents to
disseinate in#oration to !"blic and hence in #"rtherance o# !"blic interest% this is grossl&
is"tili3ed. -"rther% a coordinated strateg& o# the Governent in con4"nction with the !olitical
!art& wo"ld res"lt in the Governent advertiseents as ore o# !olitical !ro!aganda and less o#
!"blic in#oration service.
5

The "se o# Governent achiner& and #"nds to !"blish ads to bene#it the inc"bent
Governent was seen recentl& in the case o# e),Delhi Chie# 6inister .hiela Di$shit
7
be#ore the
Delhi /o$a&"$ta where the /o$a&"$ta #o"nd the "se o# Governent advertiseents #or !olitcal
canvassing as "nacce!table and not becoing o# a !"blic #"nctionar& and recoended the
President to order her to ret"rn the ao"nt o# one& s!ent b& her on these ca!aigns.
+
(lection Coission o# India% Model Code Of Conduct For The Guidance Of Political Parties And Candidates
available at htt!800eci.nic.in0eci9ain06CC,(NG/I.H9:;<::<+5.!d# =/ast visited on >"l& 2% :<+5?
:
Coon Ca"se v. Union o# India% @rit Petition=Civil? No. +2 o# :<<2 =..C.? =Pending?
2
The Constit"tion o# India% 'rticle +1
5
.hri Ai4ender G"!ta v. .t .hiela Di$shit% Co!laint No C,::20/OB0:<<1 =/o$a&"$ta o# Delhi? =Unre!orted?
7
Id.% C D2
'dvertiseents have been $nown to i!act the !s&che o# voters signi#icantl&.
E
Hence the "se o#
advertiseents b& an inc"bent governent a$es it an "n*"al !la&ing #ield #or the o!!osing
!arties since the& do not have the advertising war chests which a r"ling !art& wo"ld have.
III. RIGHT TO BNO@ O- TH( PUF/IC
The other side to the coin o# this !roble is that the !"blic has a right to $now regarding the
achieveents and vario"s schees i!leented and th"s advertiseents !la& a i!ortant role in
s!reading o"t this in#oration to the general !"blic. In a deocratic co"ntr&% the !eo!le have a
right to $now and gather a"thentic in#oration to #or in#ored o!inions.
D
The #"ndaental
right o# #reedo o# s!eech and e)!ression enca!s"lates within itsel# the #reedo to gather
in#oration.
;
Hence the arg"ent can be e)tended that i# the co"rts ste! in and restrict s"ch
Governent advertising% it can indirectl& res"lt in i!inging the !"blics #"ndaental rights.
In the United .tates% s!eech has been categorised into coercial s!eech and non,coercial
s!eech. 'ltho"gh the categorisation o# coercial and non,coercial s!eech has !roven to be
di##ic"lt and controversial
1
G in vag"e ters% coercial s!eech has eant to be s!eech where the
s!ea$er is s"!!osed to have coercial interests in disseinating the in#oration. Political
advertiseents have been g"aranteed -irst 'endent !rotection in the United .tates since the&
are classi#ied as !olitical s!eech and the belie# that the !"blic en4o&s a right to "ncensored
in#oration to a$e its decisions.
+<

Hence% altho"gh there is good gro"nd to restrict Governent #ro advertising "sing !"blic
#"nds% the iss"e o# the !"blics right to $now is ver& !ertinent. The Governent right#"ll&
deserves credit #or its vario"s achievents and schees and wo"ld ideall& en4o& the right to
!"blish s"ch in#oration. F"t this o#ten ta$es the #or o# !olitical canvassing to !roote a
!artisan and in the onths ens"ing be#ore the election% there is a ar$ed rise in the n"ber o#
s"ch advertiseents.
++
To achieve a haron& between the right to $now o# !"blic and right to
s!eech o# the !olitcal !arties% g"idelines can be laid down regarding Governent advertiseents
as has been the nor in co"ntries li$e '"stralia.
+:
The (lection Coission in its re#ors
!ro!osal has also s"ggested banning o# advertiseents si) onths !rior to date o# e)!ir& o#
ter o# the Ho"se.
+2
IA. GOA(RN6(NT 'DA(RTI.ING 'ND -R((DO6 O- PR(..
E
Frett R. Gordon H @esle& R. Hartann% Advertising Effects in Presidential Elections 6ar$eting .cience Aol. 2:
No. + =:<+2?
D
6ane$a Gandhi v. Union o# India% +1D; .CR =:? E:+
;
Id.
1
Frod& and >ohnson% !istinguishing Commercial from "oncommercial #$eech available at
htt!800www.!li.ed"0!rod"ct9#iles0boo$sa!les051<E9sa!le:.!d# =/ast visited on >"l& 2% :<+5?
+<
htt!800content.tie.co0tie0!olitics0article0<%;711%+;52D1E%<<.htl
++
#u$ra note 5
+:
De!artent o# -inance% Governent o# '"stralia%%hole&of&Australian Government Advertising Arrangement
available at htt!800www.#inance.gov.a"0advertising0 =/ast visited on >"l& 2% :<+5?
+2
(lection Coission o# India% Im$ortant Electoral 'eforms $ro$osed () the Election Coission available at
htt!800eci.nic.in0eci9ain0electoral9re#.!d# =/ast visited on >"l& 2% :<+5?
' series o# decisions
+5
have held that #reedo o# !ress is contained in the #reedo o# s!eech and
e)!ression "nder 'rticle +1. 'nother iss"e regarding #reedo o# s!eech in the conte)t o#
Governent advertiseents is the !ossiblit& o# di##erent Governents "sing the leverage o# their
large b"dgets to in#l"ence di##erent !"blications.
+7
This !ractice was also crici3ed b& the e),
chairan o# the Press Co"ncil o# India >"stice 6ar$ande& Bat4" who described s"ch !ractices as
!ett& and "ndeocratic.
+E
' st"d& !"blished in the 'erican (conoic >o"rnal showed the
correlation between the coverage o# corr"!tion b& #o"r 'rgentinian news!a!ers with governent
advertising and #o"nd o"t that advertising is negativel& i!acted b& the rise in coverage o#
corr"!tion.
+D

D"ring the !eriod o# eergenc&% there was a lot o# arbitrariness involved in granting
advertiseents to news!a!ers. This was seen as a ar$ o# !olitical !atronage and ne!otis.
'ltho"gh it is within the !"rview o# the e)ec"tive to decide s!ending o# #"nds% it cannot be
totall& arbitrar&. In the case o# Ushoda)a Pu(lications Private *td. v Government of Andhra
Pradesh
+,
decided b& the 'ndhra Pradesh High Co"rt% the co"rt held that the absol"te discretion
given to a single !"blic servant in !lacing o# advertiseents is violative o# 'rticle +5 o# the
Constiti"tion. (ven the Co!etition Coission o# India has #o"nd that the doinant !osition
en4o&ed b& Directorate o# 'dvertising and P"blicit&=D'AP? in the circ"lation o# advertiseents
is an anti,co!etitive !ractice.
+1

Placing an& restraint directl& "!on #reedo o# s!eech or "!on soething which is an essential
!art o# the right wo"ld ao"nt to i!inging o# #reedo o# s!eech and e)!ression.
:<
I# a
!artic"lar Governent decides to sto! !"blishing advertiseents in a !artic"lar news!a!ers d"e
to its dis!leas"re with its editorial !olicies or otherwise% it wo"ld a##ect the news!a!ers reven"es
detrientall& and hence ight lead to sh"tting down o# the news!a!er. The Directorate o#
'dvertising and Ais"al P"blicit&=D'AP? which is the nodal agenc& #or the Central Governent
incl"ding P"blic .ector Underta$ings and a"tonoo"s bodies clais that it does not ta$e into
acco"nt the !olitical a##iliation or editorial !olicies o# news!a!ers while allocating
advertiseents. However% the ."!ree Co"rt in Common Cause
2+
observed that there is no
!olic& to e)cl"de the ala#ide "se o# !"blic #"nds to distrib"te advertiseents.
A. CONC/U.ION
+5
#ee Fri4 Fh"shan and 'nother vs. The .tate o# Delhi% 'IR +17< .C +:1 H .a$al Pa!ers =P? /td vs. Union o#
India% 'IR +1E: .C 2<7
+7
The @all .treet >o"rnal India% Inside *a-. Political Ads in India .e!teber :% :<+2% available at
htt!800blogs.ws4.co0indiarealtie0:<+20<10<:0inside,law,!olitical,advertising,in,india0 =/ast visited on >"l& 2%
:<+5?
+E
The Ties o# India% Govt can/t (lac0mail media -ith advertisements. 1ustice Mar0ande) 2at3u -ebr"ar& 7% :<+2%
available at htt!800tieso#india.indiaties.co0india0Govt,cant,blac$ail,edia,with,advertiseents,>"stice,
6ar$ande&,Bat4"0articleshow0+;25+<<<.csIre#erralJP6 =/ast visited on >"l& 2% :<+5?
+D
Ra#ael Di Tella and Ignacio -ranceschelli% Government Advertising and Media Coverage of Corru$tion #candals
American Economic 1ournal. A$$lied Economics% Aol. 2% No. 5 =:<++?
+;
Ushoda&a P"blications Private /td. v Governent o# 'ndhra Pradesh% 'IR +1;+ 'P +<1
+1
'dvertising 'gencies G"ild v Directorate o# 'dvertising and Ais"al P"blicit& H 6inistr& o# In#oration H
Froadcasting% Case no :+0:<+: =Co!etiton Coission o# India? =Unre!orted?
:<
.a$al Pa!ers =P? /td. v. Union o# India% +1E: .CR =2? ;5:
:+
#u$ra note :
Governent advertising !la& an i!ortant role in disseination o# in#oration to the !"blic. It
also serves as a ver& i!ortant so"rce o# reven"e #or news!a!ers. Feing a a4or !lat#or #or
!"blicit&% the& have been tie and again is"sed to #"rther !olitical interests at the cost o# !"blic
!"r!ose. In an& cases% the advertiseents are not done to serve an& !"blic !"r!ose b"t erel&
!otra& the leaders o# a !olitical !art&.
::
It is "n#air to the !"blic i# their ta) one& is s!ent in s"ch
a anner. Hence% the need o# the ho"r is to #rae a!!ro!riate g"idelines delineating governent
advertising #ro !olitical advertising. The coittee set"! b& the ."!ree Co"rt sho"ld also
loo$ into wa&s how the gross is"se can be tac$led thro"gh a!!ro!riate reedial eas"res.
::
Prasad .an&al% Government4s ad (lit5. %astage in a time of austerit)6 6a& ::% :<+: available at
htt!800www.ndtv.co0article0india0governent,s,ad,blit3,wastage,in,a,tie,o#,a"sterit&,:+212; =/ast visited on
>"l& 2% :<+5?