Election office gives party 24 hours to explain why action shouldn’t be taken for attack on BJP HQ
The District Election Officer (DEO) of New Delhi has prime facie found the AAP guilty of violating various sections of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) for the unlawful protest at BJP headquarters and has sought an explanation from its leaders within 24 hours.
As per the report prepared by New Delhi District Election Officer (DEO) Ameya Abhyankar, the AAP not only organised an illegal protest in blatant violation of the Model Code of Conduct but also jeopardised the rights of other individuals living nearby 11, Ashoka Road, the BJP office. The DEO slapped a show-cause notice on the AAP asking why action should not be initiated against it for flouting the poll code.
Meanwhile, the Delhi Police in its report submitted to Election Office has accused AAP protesters of indulging in riotous acts and stone-pelting at BJP headquarters. Journalist-turned-AAP leader Ashutosh and senior party leader Shazia Ilmi were taken into custody for questioning. Ilmi was picked up by a team of women police personnel from her Greater Kailash residence and brought to Parliament Street police station where she was questioned by senior officials for around one-and-a-half hours. Ashutosh was picked up from AAP’s Model Town office and was taken to Mandir Marg police station where he was questioned for more than an hour.
After recording their statements, the Delhi Police top brass decided to allow Ilmi and Ashutosh to go home in the wake of a city court granting bails to AAP activists arrested on the charges of rioting, arson and preventing police officers from performing their official duty.
Sources said that the police may summon them again on Friday for questioning. They were questioned why they did not seek police permission before holding the protest and sought to know who organised the protest and who circulated the SMS asking supporters to gather outside the BJP Headquarters.
Prof Anand Kumar of JNU, who was also named in the FIR, was allowed to leave for home on Wednesday night itself.” AAP party leaders Ashutosh, Shazia Ilmi, Akhilesh Tripathi, Prof Anand Kumar, Jarnail Singh, Jagdeep Singh, and Surendra Singh were instigating their supporters and giving proactive speech,” the FIR read.
The FIR was registered at Parliament Street police station on the statement of Sub-Inspector Sunil Kumar. Police had arrested 18 AAP supporters till Wednesday night, including Prof Anand Kumar. Initially 33 people were detained out of which 18 were arrested late on Wednesday while others were allowed to go.
However, 14 AAP workers were granted bail on Thursday by a city court. Metropolitan Magistrate Akash Jain granted relief to the AAP workers after the Delhi Police could not answer in the affirmative about pendency of any criminal cases against them.