New Delhi, Apr 02: Congress on Friday asked Election Commission to evolve a code of conduct to restrain print as well as electronic media from publicising "personalised attacks." Welcoming the Supreme Court order banning political advertisements on cable and TV channels not conforming to the laws of the land and offending morality and decency, party spokesman Kapil Sibal told reporters in New Delhi that the media should avoid carrying personalised attacks which vitiated the electoral atmosphere.

"We want healthy public debate," Sibal said, requesting Election Commission "to evolve a code of conduct to prevent print as well as electronic media from publicising personalised attacks."

Sibal said that as regards the surrogate advertisements, the Supreme Court had said that it was for the Election Commission to decide.

In the very beginning, Sibal said, the Congress opposed ads on the issue of foreign origin but the BJP-led NDA Government kept silence. It also maintained silence when the Andhra High Court's order on ads came, he said, adding, "finally the BJP leadership in panic directed the Solicitor General to move the Supreme Court." Bureau Report