The Punjab School Education Board (PSEB) on October 13 denied allegations that a political protest poster had been circulated through its official WhatsApp channel, stating that it did not operate the channel cited in the report.
In its clarification, the Board said the allegation lacked an “authenticated basis” and that it had neither operated such a channel nor authorised it to disseminate official information. It also questioned the attribution of the reported poster to an official PSEB communication platform.
The clarification followed allegations by Punjab BJP president Kewal Singh Dhillon, who claimed that a poster promoting a protest by the Cockroach Janata Party (CJP) against Chief Election Commissioner Gyanesh Kumar in Delhi had appeared on a WhatsApp channel reportedly followed by around 4.48 lakh people.
“The circulation of this poster has raised serious questions about the functioning of the Education Department,” Dhillon said, calling on the Punjab Education Minister, Chief Minister and Aam Aadmi Party national convenor to respond to the matter.
What did the poster contain?
According to Dhillon, the poster listed four demands: halting upcoming elections and restoring the January 2025 electoral rolls; repealing the 2023 law governing the appointment of the Chief Election Commissioner and enacting a new law; seeking Gyanesh Kumar’s resignation; and stopping the Special Intensive Revision (SIR) of electoral rolls while setting up an inquiry committee.
Dhillon questioned the relevance of the political material to a platform intended for education-related communication. He said the channel was meant to share departmental circulars, holiday notifications, and information about admissions and examinations with students, teachers and parents.
He also asked who had authorised the poster’s circulation and demanded an impartial inquiry into the matter. These claims were made by Dhillon; the reported circulation of the poster through an official PSEB channel has not been independently established in the available reports.
Board calls for verification
In its statement, PSEB urged media organisations and the public to verify the authenticity of communication channels before attributing content to the Board. It said claims involving official platforms should be supported by verifiable evidence and that clarification should be sought from the relevant authority before publication.
The Board also warned that unverified reports could create confusion among students, parents and teachers. The clarification was issued by its Public Relations Office in Sahibzada Ajit Singh Nagar, Punjab, on October 13.