With less than 24 hours to go before the Delhi Assembly polls, a police case has been registered against Chief Minister Atishi. The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader has been named in a disobedience case registered at Govindpuri police station under Section 223 of Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Delhi Police said in a post on X that Ms Atishi, AAP candidate from Kalkaji, was standing at Fateh Singh Marg with 50-70 people and 10 vehicles. They were asked to vacate as per poll code guidelines, but they refused, police have said.
The case, it is learnt, was registered after a supporter of Atishi slapped a cop shooting a video of the Chief Minister’s cavalcade.
In a sharp response to the police move, the AAP leader alleged that the family members of Ramesh Bidhuri — BJP candidate from Kalkaji — were openly flouting the poll code, but no action was being taken. “The Election Commission is unbelievable. Ramesh Bidhuri’s family members are openly flouting the model code of conduct and there is no action. I complained to police and the Election Commission and they registered a case against me,” she said in a post on X.
AAP national convener Arvind Kejriwal weighed in. He alleged that it is now the “official stand” of Delhi Police and Election Commission to back BJP’s “hooliganism” against AAP and protect them as they distribute liquor and money. “If anyone stops them, they will be charged under a case of obstructing work,” he said.
Sources in the police said the canvassing was over when Ms Atishi was going around the Govindpuri locality with her supporters. They also accused her of arguing with the executive magistrate who heads the flying squad. Flying squads are teams that crack down on poll code violations.
