Congress In Trouble Over Poster Attack On MP CM Shivraj Singh Chouhan, Gets PhonePe Warning

Congress party appears to have landed in legal trouble over its poster campaign targeting Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan which also allegedly fintech company featured PhonePe’s brand name and logo. According to reports, posters featuring Madhya Pradesh Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan, which purportedly say, pay 50 per cent (commission) and get your work done, have been put up at various locations in Gwalior town and other parts of the BJP-ruled state.

Such posters were also seen in Chindwara, Rewa, Satna, and the state’s capital city Bhopal, and were later removed by the administration. The Congress poster campaign, however, drew a sharp warning from digital payments company PhonePe. The Fintech services company has accused Madhya Pradesh Congress of “unauthorized usage” of its logo and noted that it may take legal actions against them.

The posters are in the form of QR code sheets used by fintech companies for accepting online payments. ‘PhonePe’ could be clearly seen written on top of those posters.

“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 posted on its Twitter handle.

“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 Madhya Pradesh Congress to remove the posters and banners featuring our brand logo and colour,” it said, tagging the Twitter handle of the party’s state unit.

In the wake of the controversy, the MP Congress claimed that it is the BJP which started the poster war with “Wanted Commission Nath” posters that came up last week – a charge refuted by the ruling BJP.

In the meantime, an FIR has been lodged at Padav Police Station against unknown people who pasted the posters and the police are looking for them.