The Election Commission and Press Council of India on Friday favoured before the Supreme Court the imposition of checks and regulations on the airing of opinion and exit polls in the country.
The stand of the EC and PCI to this effect was in response to a PIL that came for hearing before a Bench headed by Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan seeking proper regulation of opinion and exit polls.
During the brief hearing the EC counsel Meenakshi Arora referred the airing of the 'insta poll' organised by a television channel about the recently concluded Punjab Assembly polls when it went ahead with the programme while the polling was undergoing.
"Since 10:00 am the channel carried the poll," the counsel said adding that there was a need for some checks and regulations.
Advocate P H Parekh, appearing for the PCI said that a guidelines for regulating the opinion and exit polls have been prepared by it which was in the nature of advisory and cannot be binding.
He said such polls do affect the results.
The lawyers representing the parties in the PIL said the court should hear the matter expeditiously as it was of considerable importance.
However, the Bench, did not give any date for hearing the matter before adjourning it.
The PIL on the issue was filed by advocate D K Thakur in 2004. In February 2006 notices were also issued to Congress, BJP and TDP and nine media houses after Thakur's plea to implead them as necessary parties to the petition was allowed.
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