Leader of the Opposition Vijender Gupta on Monday submitted a memorandum to the Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi demanding strict action Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and senior leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for “gross violation” of the Model Code of Conduct, currently in place at Bawana Assembly constituency.
Mr. Gupta demanded that FIRs be filed against the leaders on four counts of violating the model code, which he alleged were carried out in a “deliberate, planned and sustained manner”.
The Delhi BJP, in the complaint to the CEO, demanded that he should take suo motu action in the matter and disqualify the AAP from the by-poll.
In addition to Mr. Kejriwal, the LoP said that AAP Ministers Gopal Rai, Kailash Gehlot, Rakhi Birla, Amanutallha Khan, Alka Lamba, and AAP candidate Ramchandra violated the code.
‘Four counts of violation’
“First, the AAP held a huge rally at Bawana on August 13 without obtaining approval from the concerned authority. Second, the Delhi government’s DSIIDC published an ad in a leading newspapers on August 17 conferring special benefits to the residents of Bawana. Third, AAP MLA Alka Lamba tweeted a false image purported to have been published by a news channel. Fourth, Development Minister Gopal Rai announced in a newspaper on August 4 that Bawana will be made a smart village,” said Mr. Gupta.
In a related development, Delhi BJP president Manoj Tiwari strongly condemned the AAP for allegedly issuing a poster pamphlet with a “communal polarisation appeal” to Muslims.
The pamphlet, Mr. Tiwari alleged, was widely distributed by the AAP in Muslim-dominated areas of Bawana, with pictures of Mr. Kejriwal and Minister Imran Hussain appealing to Muslims to vote on a “community communal pattern”.
Mr. Hussain, however, said that the pamphlets were fake and tweeted: “Fake posters are being circulated in my name in Bawana. I am registering a complaint”.