With an Independent candidate from RK Puram Assembly seat Rashid Ilmi seeking police protection fearing violence from sister and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate Shazia Ilmi, the electoral battle is apparently turning into family feud between brother-sister duo.

In a statement, Rashid claimed to have sent a written complaint to the Returning Officer on Tuesday. Rashid alleged that Shazia has a history of indulging in violent and abusive behaviour and it might be repeated again with him because he was gaining support from the constituency.

The brother also stated in the complaint letter to the Returning Officer that the AAP leader even had abused her mother in the past. He went on further and alleged that Shazia is hypocrite.

“Several times in the past Shazia Ilmi has turned violent and even abused our mother. Now that I am contesting elections to expose her double standards in public life and getting good response from the people in my area, she is really angry at me. I believe that she could cause me bodily harm and thus I have written to Returning Officer so that he can recommend police protection for me,” said Rashid adding that arrangements be made for his adequate security,” wrote Mr Ilmi in his letter to the RO.

Along with the letter to the RO, Rashid also enclosed a copy of previous complaints filed against Shazia in 2011 in Kanpur. “My mother can vouch for the abusive behaviour Shazia has resorted to in the past instances. When we were in Kanpur, she had tried to malign us and harm us,” added Rashid.

Terming the claims made by brother Rashid as ‘false’ Shazia said, “He is not worthy of being called a brother. My mother is just being used for cheap tactics by them. My brothers, Aijaz Ilmi of the Congress and Rashid Ilmi, have reached new depths to harass my other brother, Irshad Ilmi, and seek to malign my name as I have given shelter to his wife and children who were abused by them. They are saying rubbish and filthy things about me, which are absolutely wrong. I am married and have been staying in Delhi for the last 11 years now.”

Rashid has claimed that he had also complained to the Election Commission of India against the RO of RK Puram Assembly seat for wrongfully for accepting the nomination papers of Shazia Ilmi alleging that she has concealed her assets and employment history and that she must be disqualified from the Delhi Assembly Elections scheduled for December 4. The Returning Officer of the

RK Puram constituency — AK Trivedi has not confirmed of any such complaint received by him.

Shazia is the richest candidate fielded by the AAP with a declared worth of `31.97 crore. A former journalist, social activist and now a politician, Shazia is contesting against the sitting MlA Congress Barkha Shukla Singh in the constituency. AAP candidate also drew criticism from all quarters recently when she was seen applauding abusive and objectionable remark passed by TV anchor Rajeev laxman against Home Minister Sushilkumar Shinde. However, later her party issued apology statement.