Atishi, a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and a minister in the Delhi government hit out at the Election Commission’s impartiality after receiving a show-cause notice at a press briefing on Friday.
She accused the poll body of being a “subsidiary organisation” of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). She also alleged that the BJP strategically leaked the notice to the media even before she received it via mail. According to Atishi, the BJP filed a complaint against one of her press conferences on April 4.
“On 5 April at 11:15 am, news channels reported that a notice had been sent to Atishi, but half an hour after the news, I got the notice in the mail. This means that the BJP first plants the Election Commission notice in the media and after that, I get the notice”, she said.
She further criticised the Election Commission’s failure to take action against central agencies following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and the freezing of Congress’s bank accounts before the Lok Sabha elections. Atishi urged the poll body to maintain neutrality and resist pressure from the BJP-led central government.
Earlier during the day, the Election Commission issued a show-cause notice to Atishi over her claims that the BJP had approached her to join their ranks through a close associate.
The development follows a remark made by Atishi at a press conference earlier this week that three other AAP leaders along with her, would face arrest by the Enforcement Directorate if they refused to join the BJP.
Responding to Atishi’s allegations, the Election Commission emphasised her influential role as a minister and leader of a national party, stressing that statements made by public figures significantly impact campaign discourse. The commission urged Atishi to substantiate her claims with factual evidence, highlighting the importance of statements being grounded in reality.
Asking Atishi to back her statement with facts, the poll body said, “When the veracity of the statements made by you is contested then you must be able to back your statements on a factual basis.” The poll panel said it expects that there must be a “factual foundation” to the statements made by the AAP leader.
