Delhi polls | BJP rattled, flexing muscle: Arvind Kejriwal targets Amit Shah, asks EC for observers

He wrote a letter to the Chief Election Commissioner, demanding urgent intervention over attacks on his party’s volunteers in the New Delhi Assembly constituency. He sought action against BJP workers as well as Delhi Police officers who he alleged were working at the behest of the party.

“As the elections draw closer, with just two days remaining, a storm of support for the AAP is sweeping across Delhi. In this storm, the BJP is rapidly collapsing. Day by day, BJP’s seats are dwindling while the AAP moves towards a historic victory. In this desperate situation, the BJP has lost its composure and no one appears more rattled than (Union Home Minister) Amit Shah. His panic has reached a point where he seems to have lost control entirely,” he said.

Claiming that Delhi was witnessing “violent elections”, Kejriwal accused the Home Minister “of unleashing a wave of hooliganism across Delhi, the likes of which the people of this city have never witnessed before. Open attacks are being orchestrated against ordinary citizens and BJP-backed goons are mercilessly beating people.”

He alleged that on Saturday, Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh was present at a location where hooligans launched an assault. “Shockingly, the police were right there but did nothing. When questioned, they simply responded that they had orders from above to not intervene. Instead of stopping the attackers, the police let them escape… They arrest the victims and slap false charges against them, keeping them in custody all day and night, and harassing them in every possible way,” he alleged.

Kejriwal accused the BJP of threatening his candidates and party workers to “join them or they will ruin them and their families”.

“Our leaders are being forced to join the BJP. Even women workers and leaders are not spared… They are troubling them too. The people of Delhi are very calm and like to live a peaceful life. The city is the national Capital and people have never seen such an election campaign ever,” he said.

Appealing to the people to unite, Kejriwal said: “Amit Shah, stop your gundagardi. If you want to contest elections, do so on real issues. But the truth is, you have no issues left to fight on. You have no chief ministerial face, no vision for Delhi, and no real agenda. Your only strategy is to use intimidation and violence to win.”

The party also launched a social media campaign against BJP and Shah.

Replying to Kejriwal’s letter, the office of Chief Electoral Officer, Delhi, said it has referred the matter to the District Election Officer, New Delhi District, and as per their factual report, “no written complaints could be traced in most of the cases… However, it has also been informed that whenever written complaints are received from any political party citing such allegations, all such matters are investigated invariably… and appropriate action as per ECI norms is either initiated or recommended in all such cases.”

On the specific complaints/incidents cited by Kejriwal, the election office said “police have reported that necessary action was taken as per law in all the cases. Furthermore, to ensure inducement-free and fair elections, complaints on the C-VIGIL portal of ECI are being attended, inquired and disposed of continuously”.

“As far as the issue of Independent Observer is concerned, it is to inform that General Observers, Expenditure Observers and Police Observers have already been deployed for all constituencies including New Delhi constituency… It is to inform you that all political parties are free to do campaigning and in case, any complaint of threatening or intimidating by any worker of a political party is received, necessary action will be taken as per law,” it said.