Delhi Mayor Rajni Abbi on Monday wrote to the State Election Commissioner accusing the Congress-led Delhi Government of violating the model code of conduct ahead of the Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections by issuing advertisements in newspapers, and demanded that the Commission take action to stop it.
The model code of conduct came into effect from March 5. Mayor Abbi noted in the letter that “many advertisements…have come in the newspapers from the Delhi Government after March 5. These should be stopped immediately as they violate the code of conduct as it directly gives an advantage to the ruling party in the State Assembly. Kindly take immediate steps against it.”
In a letter to Commissioner Rakesh Mehta, she questioned why the Opposition was against the distribution of pension to the old people, widows and physically challenged people; and the distribution of sewing machines to help the poor make a livelihood.
The Mayor's letter comes after Congress councillors approached the State Election Commission complaining about the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled MCD clearing pensions for elderly, widows and disabled people. She said the distribution of pension has “no political repercussions” and was “an obligatory function of the Corporation which it has been doing continuously for the past four and a half years. The release of pension has no political repercussions as the pension has to be distributed in all wards irrespective of the party representative”.
Regarding the passing of the proposal to distribute sewing machines, she said: “The proposal for distributing sewing machines this year has been cleared by the Standing Committee and I had given anticipatory approval to it prior to the date of notification of election.” She also clarified that when the machines arrive, they would be distributed by Corporation officers, not councillors.
