Political Advertising in the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana?

If renaming the Jan Aushadhi Scheme in 2015 to Pradhan Mantri Jan Aushadhi Yojana (PMJAY) was not a big enough change, it was later renamed as the Pradhan Mantri Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana (PMBJP). The symbolism in the acronym is not lost. However, what is equally interesting is that the scheme has assumed a hue of saffron, not figuratively due to the letters BJP featuring in the acronym, but literally as the logo – written in devanagri script – has the first letter of each word in Bharatiya Janaushadhi Pariyojana written in saffron. The words Pradhan Mantri are written as one word in Devnagri script above in smaller font size and in green.

The scheme is meant to provide affordable generic drugs to the poor at the special outlets. The drugs provided through the scheme, however, will have the scheme's logo on it. What is disconcerting is that a government scheme is being used to promote a political party.

Naming schemes after significant figures from history – irrespective of how controversial they are – is not unprecedented. There are numerous universities and schemes named after Mahatma Gandhi as well as Jawaharlal Nehru and Rajiv Gandhi among others. However, these people led the country in one way or another. Similarly, when the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) set up the Atal Pension Plan, naming the scheme after former Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee from BJP, it did not raise eyebrows. However, the manner in which an essential scheme has been renamed so as to share a part of its acronym with the party in power can be construed as unethical.

In terms of the law, printed political advertising exists in a grey area. Print advertisements are explicitly banned during exit polls under section 126A of the Representation of the People Act. However, section 126 of the Act does not explicitly bar it during the 48 hours leading up to the polls. However, what is unclear is whether there is any law barring a political party from covertly advertising itself through government schemes. On one hand, naming government schemes after former prime ministers and other leaders associated with a particular party too may be considered covert advertising. However, the present example is a lot more blatant in its approach.

The present government's apathy towards funding public healthcare has been noted. However, a cynical view of the present development may support this obvious political overtone, in a hope that greater funds may be devoted to this scheme.