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Guwahati, April 17: As India braces for the first phase of the Lok Sabha elections' on April 19, a pivotal pre-voting protocol, the 48-hour silence period begins. This interval, commonly referred to as pre-election silence, commences precisely 48 hours before polling concludes, initiating on April 17 at 5 p.m.
During this hiatus, all forms of campaign and election-related activities are supposed to be halted. From citizens to journalists to politicians, everyone is mandated to abstain from engaging in such endeavours. This directive, enshrined in Sections 126, 126A, and 135C of the Representation of the People Act, 1951 (RP Act), serves to curtail any activities intended to sway or influence election outcomes. This includes the prohibition of public meetings, speeches, and other activities deemed likely to affect the electoral process.
The objective of silence period is to give voters a peaceful time to consider and make a final decision on their vote.
What activities are prohibited during the silence period?
So what does Section 126 in The Representation of the People Act, 1951 says:
126. Prohibition of public meetings during period of forty-eight hours ending with hour fixed for conclusion of poll.—
(1) No person shall—
(a) convene, hold, attend, join or address any public meeting or procession in connection with an election; or
(b) display to the public any election matter by means of cinematograph, television or other similar apparatus; or
(c) propagate any election matter to the public by holding, or by arranging the holding of, any musical concert or any theatrical performance or any other entertainment or amusement with a view to attracting the members of the public thereto, in any polling area during the period of forty-eight hours ending with the hour fixed for the conclusion of the poll for any election in that polling area.
(2) Any person who contravenes the provisions of sub-section (1) shall be punishable with imprisonment for a term which may extend to two years or with fine, or with both.
(3) In this section, the expression “election matter” means any matter intended or calculated to influence or affect the result of an election.
