After PayCM, Congress uses 'PhonePe' to target Shivraj Singh; firm objects

As the Madhya Pradesh Assembly elections draw closer, political parties are leaving no stone unturned to get the upper hand. As a part of the election campaign, posters accusing Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan of corruption have surfaced which display the CM's face embedded in the payment QR logo of the digital payments company, PhonePe.

कटनी रेलवे स्टेशन पर शिवराज का भ्रष्टाचार

50% लाओ, फ़ोन पे काम कराओ

मध्यप्रदेश की जनता जानती है,
50% कमीशनखोरों को पहचानती है। pic.twitter.com/N3vXwqtY4A

— MP Congress (@INCMP) June 26, 2023

Following this, PhonePe has raised objections to the use of its logo in the posters.

 

The posters which look very similar to the QR codes in shops, aim to accuse CM Shivraj Singh of demanding commission to get things done. The posters also had PhonePe's brand name, logo, and colour used in them.

Subsequently, PhonePe posted a tweet on its official Twitter handle, the Tweet said, "PhonePe objects to the unauthorised usage of its brand logo, by any third party, be it political or non-political. We are not associated with any political campaign or party."

PhonePe objects to the unauthorized usage of its brand logo, by any third party, be it political or non-political. We are not associated with any political campaign or party.

— PhonePe (@PhonePe) June 26, 2023

Moreover, the pictures of the posters were shared by the state Congress unit on its Twitter handle. The tweet read, "Get 50 per cent, get the work done over the phone. The people of Madhya Pradesh know. They are well aware of those living off commissions."

The poster war in Madhya Pradesh is similar to what happened during the Karnataka Assembly elections. During the recent elections, Congress had started a campaign against the previous Chief Minister Basavraj Bommai and put up posters, which read 'PayCM' much like another resembling another online payments platform, Paytm.