The Election Commission (EC) on Thursday conducted a search at the Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Kapurthala House residence in the national Capital regarding a complaint about ‘cash’ being distributed from there ahead of the Delhi assembly elections.
This comes a day after Delhi Police registered a case after a vehicle labelled “Punjab government” was intercepted near Punjab Bhawan with cash, liquor and AAP pamphlets. “The vehicle bearing a Punjab number plate was caught by the Flying Squad team in the New Delhi district,” the official said on Wednesday. The Flying Squad attends to all Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violations and all complaints related to liquor, arms and cash used for elections.
An official outside Kapurthala House told the media that a complaint was received regarding ‘cash’ being distributed from there. “The team was awaiting permission to conduct the search,” he added.
Deputy Commissioner of Police (DCP) New Delhi Devesh Mahla said, “Regarding the raid being conducted at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann’s Kapurthala House residence, it is being done on complaint by the Returning Officer (RO) and Flying Squad Team (FST). Police presence is on requisition and requirement for safety of FST.”
Meanwhile, the AAP hit out at the BJP for conducting a raid at an elected Chief Minister’s house, while not taking any action against BJP for openly distributing money.
Mann, who is campaigning for his party’s candidate ahead of the state polls, slammed the Delhi Police and Election Commission for defaming Punjabis.
“Today, the Election Commission team along with Delhi Police has come to raid my house Kapurthala House in Delhi. BJP people are openly distributing money in Delhi but Delhi Police and Election Commission are not seeing anything. No action is being taken on all this. In a way, Delhi Police and Election Commission are defaming Punjabis at the behest of BJP, which is very condemnable,” the Punjab CM said in a post on X.
His Delhi counterpart and Kalkaji candidate Atishi alleged that people in the BJP were ‘openly’ distributing money, shoes, slippers and bed sheets, but the police was unable to see that and reached an elected chief minister’s residence for ‘raid’.
“Delhi Police has reached to raid Bhagwant Mann ji’s house in Delhi. BJP people are distributing money, shoes, and sheets in broad daylight - that is not visible. Instead they go to raid the residence of an elected Chief Minister. Wow BJP! People of Delhi will give their answer on the 5th!” she said.
Moreover, the New Delhi Chief Election Officer (CEO) clarified that the action was being taken in response to a complaint on the cVIGIL app. However, it added that security personnel are not permitting entry to the officials in the premises.
“This is to clarify the actions taken in response to cVIGIL Complaint ID 1282744 regarding the alleged distribution of cash at Kapurthala House, New Delhi which falls under jurisdiction of AC-40, New Delhi. The complaint was received via the cVIGIL app, a platform where any citizen can report alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC),” the CEO New Delhi said.
“As per standard protocol, the Flying Squad Team (FST) of New Delhi AC, stationed nearby was assigned the task by the Control Room to investigate the complaint and close it by taking appropriate action within the stipulated 100-minute timeframe,” a post on X stated.
It added that the FST promptly reached the location of the alleged violation at Kapurthala House. “However, the team is not being permitted by the security personnel to enter the premises to verify the complaint,” the tweet read.