new delhi the election commission has asked the union health ministry to remove the image of prime minister narendra modi from the covid19 vaccination certificates being issued to beneficiaries in pollbound states of west bengal assam tamil nadu kerala and the union territory puducherryciting its standing instructions of december 24 2004 asking for the removal of images of living political functionaries on government advertisements that seek or purport to project their achievements as no political functionary can use public resourcesto enhance his own personal image the poll panel in a letter written to the health ministry on thursday said the instructions should be scrupulously followed in letter and spiritread alsomamatas tmc petitions ec against use of pm modis photo on covid vaccination certificates bjp calls it baseless chargemamata banerjees trinamool congress tmc has petitioned the election commission against the use of pm modis photo on advertisements of various central schemes and covid vaccination certificates a tmc delegation met the ec and termed the use of pms photo as a blatant misuse of officiala woman shows the certificate which she got after her second dose of covid 19 vaccine if necessary ministry may find technical solution to issue of excluding these four states and union territory of puducherry by using appropriate filters etc it further statedupon receiving a complaint from tmc against the use of pms image on covid vaccination certificates ec had sought a response from the health ministry the ministry in its response dated march 5 is said to have pointed out that the vaccination drive was launched well before assembly polls in four states and 1 ut were announcedec while noting that covid19 vaccination drive was launched across the country on 16012021 and the schedule of polls announced much later on february 26 however said that in view of its standing instructions restraining the use of living political functionaries image in government advertisements this is to advise you that instructions of the commission referred to above are scrupulously followed in letter and spiritas per the ecs instructions dated december 24 2004 and later reiterated on january 6 2017 the commission has directed that those hoardings advertisements etc put up by the government which purport to give general information or convey general messages to the masses on family planning social welfare schemes etc may be allowed to be displayed however all those hoardings advertisements etc which seek or purport to project the achievements of any living political functionaries or political party and which carry their photos or name or party symbol should be removed forthwith as no political functionary or political party can use public resources and incur or authorize expenditure from public exchequer to eulogise himself or itself or enhance hisits own or any political leaders personal image such hoardings etc undoubtedly amount to their individual party election campaign at public cost watch remove pm modis image from covid certificates in poll bound states ec