Voice Of Post

EC issues notice to Arvind Kejriwal for alleged poll code violation, Holding Aam Aadmi Party chief Arvind Kejriwal in prima-facie violation of the model code of conduct for having allegedly accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of trying to incite communal violence in Delhi and also blaming it for attacks on churches in Delhi, the Election Commission Saturday issued him a show-cause notice asking why action should not be taken against him for violating the code.

Kejriwal has been asked to explain his stance by 3 pm on January 20 failing which the EC will take a decision without any further reference to him.

This follows a complaint by BJP’s Delhi President Satish Upadhyay who has accused Kejriwal of having said that “BJP is trying to incite communal violence in Delhi and has spread communal violence in Trilokpuri & Nandnagri and is also trying to do so in Nangloi & Bawana and is also responsible for attacks on churches in Delhi and thus has violated the provisions of Model Code of Conduct by creating mutual hatred, discord and tension between different communities and people of Delhi”.

Quoting provisions of model code of conduct that say that “no party or candidate shall indulge in any activity which may aggravate existing differences or create mutual hatred or cause tension between different castes and communities, religious or linguistic”, the EC has found Kejriwal in prima-facie violation of the code.

Upadhyay had also complained that Kejriwal had “leveled false, baseless and unverified allegations” against him and Ashish Sood, general secretary of Delhi Unit of Bharatiya Janata Party in a press conference on January 14. The EC has asked Kejriwal to give him comments on this complaint by the same January 20 deadline.

The EC has also received a report from Delhi’s Chief Electoral Officer, along with a CD of the said press conference where these remarks were allegedly made.