Atishi Accuses Election Commission of Bias, Alleges BJP Influence
New Delhi, 5th April 2024: Atishi, a senior leader of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and minister in Delhi criticized the Election Commission on Friday following the issuance of a show-cause notice, questioning the impartiality of the poll body and suggesting undue influence from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Atishi also alleged that the BJP strategically leaked the notice to the media before she received it via email.
“On April 4, the BJP filed a complaint against one of my press conferences…On April 5 at 11:15 am, news channels reported that a notice had been sent to Atishi, but I received the notice in my mail only half an hour later. This sequence suggests that the BJP intentionally leaked the Election Commission notice to the media before my receipt…My concern is whether the Election Commission is now acting as a subsidiary of the BJP,” Atishi remarked during a press briefing.
Atishi raised questions about the Election Commission’s selective action, citing instances where notices were not issued to central agencies after Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s arrest and the freezing of Congress’ bank accounts ahead of the Lok Sabha elections.
She urged the Election Commission to uphold impartiality and resist influence from the BJP-led central government.
Earlier in the day, the Election Commission served Atishi a show-cause notice following her claims that the BJP attempted to recruit her through a mutual acquaintance. She alleged that she, along with three other AAP leaders – Saurabh Bharadwaj, Raghav Chadha, and Durgesh Pathak – faced potential arrest by the Enforcement Directorate (ED) if they refused to join the BJP.
Responding to these allegations, the Election Commission’s notice stated, “As a minister in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and leader of a national party, the public tends to trust the statements made by their leaders, thereby influencing campaign discourse.”
The poll body requested Atishi to substantiate her claims with evidence, emphasizing the importance of factual accuracy in public statements made by political leaders.
