The Election Commission of India (ECI) on Friday issued a notice to Delhi Minister and AAP leader Atishi asking her to provide evidence for the ‘misleading comments’ she made against the BJP by April 6.
Atishi had said she was approached by the BJP, through a close associate, to join the party to “save my political career”.
The Commission said it received a complaint from the BJP against Atishi’s “misleading and unverified” claim during her press conference on April 2. In a release issued to the media on Friday, the poll panel said it received the complaint dated 4th April 2024 wherein it has been alleged that she (Atitishi) had made misleading and unverified statements against the BJP at a press conference on April 2, 2O24.
The Commission said, ”You are a minister in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and leader of a national party. The electors tend to believe whatever is being said from the public forum by their leaders and in that sense, the statements made by them affect the campaign discourse.”
”It is expected that there must be, a factual foundation to the… statements made by you and when the veracity of the statements made by you is contested then you must be able to back your statements by a factual basis; and whereas the matter is being examined by the Commission in light of the provisions of Model Code of Conduct and relevant electoral laws.”
The AAP minister had claimed that she was asked to join the saffron party or face consequences.
“I have been told that soon there will be ED raids at our residence and then we will be taken into custody. The BJP is now targeting the next line of the leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party,” Atishi has said.