Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo Arvind Kejriwal, on Sunday accused the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) of trying to deceive residents of Delhi's slums dwellers and economically weaker sections by offering them a sum of Rs 3,000 and falsely promising that they can cast their votes from the comfort of their own homes through the Election Commission.
In a video message, Kejriwal claimed that he had received multiple calls from residents of servant quarters, dhobi ghats, and slum clusters, reporting that individuals ?"linked to a rival party" ?offering Rs 3,000 to voters. In response to Kejriwal's claims, addressing a "Sankalp Rally "in RK Puram , Prime Minister Narendra Modi assured the people of Delhi that no slum will be demolished if the BJP comes to power in the national capital. "Not a single slum will be demolished in Delhi. We don't make announcements just for show. We make provisions in the budget to back our promises," PM Modi said in the rally. He criticised the Aam Aadmi Party for spreading rumours to mislead the public.
In a video message in the morning, Kejriwal alleged that these individuals were allegedly misleading people by saying that the Election Commission would facilitate voting from home while applying indelible ink on their fingers, effectively barring them from casting their votes on polling day.
"Calls are coming from servant quarters, dhobi ghat, everywhere. People from their party are going door-to-door, saying take Rs 3,000 and the Election Commission will come to your house to get your vote cast. You get inked on your finger in return. Hearing this gave me goosebumps. This is a big conspiracy against you people," Kejriwal said.
Terming it a "dangerous conspiracy," he cautioned residents that such fraudulent practices could lead to legal repercussions, including arrest and prolonged court battles.
In addition to exposing these malpractices, he raised serious concerns about the future of Delhi's Jhuggi dwellers if the BJP were to come to power.
He revealed that within six months, the BJP would demolish JJ clusters and hand over the land to private corporations, similar to the recent redevelopment of Mumbai's Dharavi.
"They are saying, 'You can vote from home and get ink applied on your finger in return.' When I heard this, I was shocked. This is a huge conspiracy against you. A massive plot is being set up to trap you. I am your elder brother and trust me, I couldn't sleep last night thinking about this," he added.
He also warned voters about the legal consequences of participating in such activities, even unknowingly. "If by mistake you get inked in exchange for money or cast a fake vote on their instructions, they will take action against you, and you could be arrested. People have gone to jail for 8-10 years for such offenses under fraud cases," Kejriwal said.
The AAP leader urged people not to fall into this "trap," cautioning that media surveillance in many areas on the night before the election could expose such fraudulent practices, leading to arrests.
"If they are giving you free money, take it, but do not let them ink your finger. It will become a lifelong problem," he added.
"The very people giving you money today will get you arrested tomorrow. This is a massive fraud, and you could end up in jail under charges of fraud (Section 420)," he added.
