The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Thursday accused the BJP’s East Delhi candidate Gautam Gambhir of distributing pamphlets slandering his AAP rival Atishi in Krishna Nagar, Vishwas Nagar and other areas of the constituency.
Denying the charge, Mr. Gambhir said he would withdraw if the AAP could prove its accusation and challenged AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal to quit politics if the party failed to substantiate the allegation it had made against him.
Addressing a press conference at the AAP headquarters, Ms. Atishi broke down while reading out from the pamphlet which cast several aspersions on her character. The pamphlet titled “Atishi Marlena - know your candidate” had been distributed with newspapers in East Delhi, the AAP candidate claimed.
“BJP and Gautam Gambhirji distributed it in different apartment complexes... the pamphlets should raise a question to the country, how politics happens in the country, mainly against a woman,” Ms. Atishi said.
Hitting out at Mr. Gambhir, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal tweeted, “Never imagined Gautam Gambhir to stoop so low. How can women expect safety if people with such mentality are voted in?”
“How low he [Mr. Gambhir] can stoop down in this election, he and his party has shown,” AAP leader Manish Sisodia asserted at the press conference. “Gambhir should be ashamed for distributing such pamphlets,” he added.
“These pamphlets were distributed so that Gautam Gambhir can win,” Mr. Sisodia claimed. “Our workers brought us these pamphlets, Delhi’s people will reply on the day of voting,” he added.
Decrying AAP’s “dirty tricks”, Mr. Gambhir tweeted, “I declare that if its proven that I did it, I will withdraw my candidature right now. If not, will u quit politics?”
