Online payments platform PhonePe has protested the use of its name and logo on posters attacking Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan in the midst of a fierce poster battle between the governing Bharatiya Janata Party and the opposition Congress in the election-bound state. Additionally, the business threatened legal action and urged the party to remove the posters.
The first posters referring to Kamal Nath, the president of the Madhya Pradesh Congress Committee, as “Corruption Nath” and “Wanted” appeared in Bhopal on June 23. They included QR codes and stated that he is sought after in a number of frauds in the state. They read, “Scam se bachne ke liye scan kare (scan to prevent scams).”
Later on that day, rival posters attacking Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan appeared on many city walls. Videos of the same that appeared in Bhopal, Indore, Gwalior, Sehore, Rewa, Mandsaur, Ujjain, Bhind, Balaghat, Budhni, and other places were shared on Twitter by the state unit of the Congress. The incumbent chief minister represents Budhni in the assembly.
Hindi-language posters featuring his image and a QR code read, “50% laao, PhonePe kaam karao (pay 50% commission to get your work done over phone)”.
कटनी रेलवे स्टेशन पर शिवराज का भ्रष्टाचार
— MP Congress (@INCMP) June 26, 2023
50% लाओ, फ़ोन पे काम कराओ
मध्यप्रदेश की जनता जानती है,
50% कमीशनखोरों को पहचानती है। pic.twitter.com/N3vXwqtY4A
PhonePe “objected to the unauthorized usage of its brand logo by any third party, whether political or non-political.” It added that any unauthorized use of the logo would invite “legal action” and demanded Congress take down the posters.
The PhonePe logo is a registered trademark of our company and any unauthorized use of PhonePe’s intellectual property rights will invite legal action. We humbly request @INCMP to remove the posters and banners featuring our brand logo and colour 🙏.
— PhonePe (@PhonePe) June 26, 2023
BJP’s reaction to the posters
Narottam Mishra, the home minister of Madhya Pradesh and a prominent leader of the party, claimed that the Congress was participating in “dirty politics” after the posters were plastered across several locations in the state.
He further denied that the BJP was behind the creation or distribution of posters charging senior Congressman Kamal Nath with corruption. He asserted, “BJP practises clean politics and does not engage in dirty tricks like Congress.”
He proclaimed, “The public knows that you (Congress) are blaming others to hide your corruption. FIR has been registered in Burhanpur, Chhindwara, and will take action against it.” The Congress had previously announced that the Shivraj Singh Chouhan posters were retribution for the Kamal Nath posters.
#WATCH | The dirty politics of Congress has come to the fore. Nothing to say after the 'Phonepe' tweet. The public knows that you are blaming others to hide your corruption. FIR has been registered in Burhanpur, Chhindwara and will take action against it: Madhya Pradesh Home… https://t.co/ILXUFhjpEL pic.twitter.com/Eo6blo7C1G
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) June 29, 2023
In the meantime, a BJP member from Gwalior has contacted the local police regarding a Shivraj Singh Chouhan poster that has been painted on the walls close to the city’s train station. Rajesh Singh Chandel, Superintended of Police, Gwalior informed, “A BJP worker has given a complaint that his party is being defamed, and based on that a case has been registered against an unknown person and an investigation is underway.”
Madhya Pradesh | | 'PhonePe CM' posters featuring CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan pasted on the walls near Gwalior railway station
— ANI MP/CG/Rajasthan (@ANI_MP_CG_RJ) June 29, 2023
A BJP worker has given a complaint that his party is being defamed and based on that a case has been registered against an unknown person and investigation… pic.twitter.com/SOxzrFfFbM
Notably, elections for the 230 seats in the Madhya Pradesh Legislative Assembly are expected to take place in or before November of this year.
