Lok Sabha Elections 2024: AAP minister Atishi gets Election Commission notice over ‘join BJP’ claim

The Election Commission of India (ECI) sent a notice to Atishi on April 5 over her claims about being asked to ‘join BJP or face jail’. The Delhi minister has been asked to issue a response. 

In the notice, ECI mentions, "Criticism of other political parties, when made, shall be confined to their policies and programme, past record and work. Parties and Candidates shall refrain from criticism of all aspects of private life, not connected with the public activities of the leaders or workers of other parties. Criticism of other parties or their workers based on unverified allegations or distortion shall be avoided."

It also reminds in the notice, "The political parties and leaders shall not make false statements, utterances without factual basis aimed at misleading the voters. Criticism of other parties or their workers on the basis of unverified allegations or on distortions shall be avoided."

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) minister has been asked to submit her response by 5 PM on April 6.

The Commission says in the notice that it received a complaint from the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) about Atishi's "misleading and unverified" claim during her press conference on April 2.

The AAP minister that she had been asked to join the saffron party to 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 said.

The BJP has called Atishi's claim “baseless".

“I too can make such baseless allegations. I too can say that Saurabh Bharadwaj called me up and requested me to protect them from Arvind Kejriwal who wants to put them behind bars and make Sunita Kejriwal the CM," BJP leader RP