Gandhinagar – The Gujarat govt has come under scrutiny after a Right to Information (RTI) query revealed it spent over ₹8.81 crore on advertisements celebrating Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s 23 years in public office, a commemorative milestone counting his tenure as both Gujarat’s chief minister and India’s prime minister. The campaigns, which ran around October 7, 2024, included extensive placements across print, electronic, digital, and social media, generating widespread debate over government ad neutrality and public expenditure.
The RTI, filed by BBC Gujarati and reviewed by several media outlets, shows that the publicity branch of the Gujarat Information Commission spent ₹2.12 crore specifically on newspaper ads, with additional funds—₹3.04 crore—directed toward newspaper advertisements under the “Vikas Sapta” (Development Week) campaign. Another ₹3.64 crore was allocated for electronic, digital, and social media promotions. In total, just two major ad series (“23 Years of Successful and Capable Leadership” and “Development Week”) accounted for the ₹8.81 crore outlay.
What Did the Advertisements Say?
These advertisements highlighted Prime Minister Modi’s so-called “visionary, developed India” leadership, presenting him as both a source of Gujarat’s pride and a driver of national progress. Full-page and half-page ads blanketed major Gujarati dailies and digital outlets, featuring messages such as “Congratulations to the visionary of a developed India, the luminary of Gujarat’s pride, the man of development and the successful Prime Minister, Shri Narendrabhai Modi.”
Breaching Ad Neutrality? Expert and Legal Backlash
Critics have raised questions about the appropriateness of such spending, with political and legal experts citing guidelines from the Supreme Court and the Committee on Content Regulation in Government Advertising (CCRGA) that bar the glorification of individual politicians using taxpayer funds. The 2015 Supreme Court ruling explicitly directed that government advertisements focus on informing citizens of policies and schemes—not promoting public figures—a policy reinforced after a public interest litigation by Common Cause.
“The CCRGA guidelines stress political neutrality and prohibit personalized glorification. This expenditure seems to brush aside those norms,” said a media law commentator quoted in ongoing debate. Analysts note that official advertising should prioritize public welfare messaging and that the government’s approach in this instance borders on “image-building at the taxpayer’s expense.”
Context: Government Ad Spending on the Rise
This expenditure comes against a backdrop of rising government spending on publicity. Data compiled from Central Bureau of Communication (CBC) and DAVP sites show that the Centre’s annual ad budget has surged in recent years, drawing regular flak from opposition politicians for being more about PR than transparent communication. Observers argue that such discretionary spending, especially to mark a non-traditional milestone like “23 years in public office,” is uncommon and raises questions about priorities and oversight.
Official Response and Future Implications
When approached for comment by the BBC, a spokesperson for Gujarat’s ruling party insisted that all advertising expenditure is routinely audited, claiming nothing improper had taken place and asserting that all rules were followed. However, opposition leaders and civil society groups have called for stricter enforcement of ad neutrality, demanding that future government communication stays within legal bounds.
The controversy has rekindled debates about the use of public funds for political image-making versus genuine public outreach—an issue likely to remain prominent as elections and government anniversaries multiply. As the debate over ad spending and content regulation continues, the case of Gujarat’s ₹8.81 crore campaign puts the spotlight on the fine line between public service and political promotion.
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