Delhi minister and senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi slammed the Election Commission (EC) after she was served a show-cause notice on Friday. Atishi questioned if the EC was a “subsidiary organisation” of the Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP).
As per PTI report, the EC served a notice to Atishi over her remarks that the BJP had approached her to either join the party or be prepared to be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) within a month.
Speaking at a press conference, the AAP leader alleged that the notice was leaked to the media by the BJP an hour before the EC sent it to her through email. She also questioned why the EC did not serve notice to the concerned central agencies after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal was arrested and bank accounts of the Congress were frozen just ahead of elections, reported PTI.
Atishi also claimed that she wrote multiple letters to the poll panel over the BJP`s objectionable hoardings and posters, but no action was taken. She asserted that she will reply to the EC`s notice reminding of the neutrality and non-partisanship expected from the panel to ensure free and fair elections in the country.
In its notice, the poll panel asked Atishi to back with facts her statement that the BJP approached her to join the party. The BJP moved the poll commission against Atishi`s claim made on April 2, PTI report said.
Meanwhile in Maharashtra, the Congress has formally filed a complaint with the Pune collector against the distribution of `Viksit Bharat` leaflets in the city`s Karve Nagar neighbourhood.
Maharashtra Congress vice president Mohan Joshi stated that the Election Commission issued orders last month asking the Union government to prevent the dissemination of `Viksit Bharat` propaganda, reported PTI.
Joshi emphasised the importance of conducting a thorough inquiry into the sources and distribution methods of these books and recommended immediate action.
(With PTI Inputs)