EC Asks Atishi To Support 'BJP Aao Ya Jail Jao' Allegation With Facts
The Election Commission on Friday issued a show cause notice to Delhi minister and Aam Aadmi Party leader Atishi, asking her to back her statement with facts that the BJP had approached her to join the party. Furious with the notice, Atishi lashed out at the EC asking if it was a “subsidiary organization” of the BJP. She said she will reply to the notice and remind the Election Commission of the neutrality and non-partisanship that is expected of it in conducting free and fair elections in the country. She alleged that the EC did not take action over the complaints filed by the AAP.
Atishi and several AAP leaders have been regularly accused by the BJP of poaching. On April 2, Atishi claimed that the BJP approached her to either join the party or be prepared to be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate within a month.
“I was approached by the BJP through a person very close to me who asked me to join the BJP to save and enhance my political career or I would be arrested within a month,” she said at a press conference.
Following this, the BJP moved the EC accusing Atishi of making a “false statement”.
“Whereas you are a minister in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and leader of a national party. The electors tend to believe whatever is being said from a public forum by their leaders and in that sense the statements made by them affect the campaign discourse. Whereas, it is expected there must be, a factual foundation to the above quoted statements made by you and when the veracity of the statements made by you is contested, then you must be able to back your statements by a factual basis; and whereas the matter is being examined by the commission in light of the provisions of the Model Code of Conduct and relevant electoral laws, Now, therefore, you are hereby called upon to furnish your para-wise response to the matter latest by 12 noon of 8th April 2024 (Monday),” the EC notice to Atishi read.
At a press conference on Friday, Atishi said the EC notice was leaked to the media by the BJP an hour before the EC sent it to her through email. She questioned why the Election Commission did not issue notices to the Central agencies concerned after Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested and the bank accounts of the Congress were frozen ahead of the elections. She said the AAP had written multiple letters to the poll panel over the BJP’s “objectionable” hoardings and posters, but no action was taken on them.
