The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has officially lodged a complaint with the Election Commission of India (ECI) against the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), alleging a violation of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC). The complaint centers around a video posted on November 5 by BJP's official Facebook and X accounts, in which Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal is targeted for purported misconduct, including alleged false promises and renovations to his official residence, as reported by Hindustan Times.
In the formal complaint, AAP condemns the BJP's attempt to create a parody, labeling it as a mean-spirited and baseless endeavor to tarnish the image of the Hon’ble Chief Minister and AAP. The party asserts that these actions by the BJP fall under the categories of public abuse, denigration, and vilification of the Chief Minister.
The AAP's grievance extends beyond a single video, contending that the BJP has consistently disseminated similarly manipulated images and videos of Kejriwal and other AAP members. Notably, Kejriwal serves as a star campaigner in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, and Chhattisgarh, making the objectionable content, according to the AAP, particularly disparaging, dangerously misleading, and libelous.
In its complaint, the AAP invokes legal provisions, including section 123(4) of the Representation of People Act, 1951, sections 499 and 501 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), and clauses of the model code of conduct. The cited clauses include 4.4.2(B)(v), which prohibits parties from criticizing others based on unverified allegations or distortions.
The complaint, signed by AAP’s national secretary Pankaj Kumar Gupta, implores the Election Commission to take swift and decisive action to prevent undue influence on elections through the dissemination of false narratives, defamatory statements, or remarks that may incite religious sentiments. The AAP filed the complaint on November 16, the same day Kejriwal, as the national convenor, was expected to respond to the EC’s show cause notice against the AAP for tweets directed at Modi on November 8 and 9.
While the EC had issued a show cause notice to the AAP on November 10, the Commission has not yet addressed the AAP’s complaint against the BJP.
In a related development, Congress general secretary Priyanka Gandhi Vadra has responded to a show cause notice issued by the EC regarding an alleged violation of the model code of conduct. The notice was prompted by Vadra's remarks during a public rally in Sanwer, Madhya Pradesh, where she made unverified and false statements about Prime Minister Modi. The EC had issued a similar notice to Vadra on October 26.
Both notices to Vadra and the AAP underline the Election Commission’s concerns about the declining level of public discourse during campaigning, as reiterated in its May 2023 directive. The model code of conduct has been in effect since October 9 in Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Mizoram, Rajasthan, and Telangana due to the Assembly elections. Despite attempts to reach out to the Congress and the AAP, there has been no response from either party.
