Annoyed with the Aam Aadmi Party’s (AAP) uprising outside BJP headquarters on Ashoka Road, the Election Commission of India (ECI) is veering around the idea of censuring the party leadership. There are indications that ECI is going to take a tough stand and may reprimand the AAP on the basis of the Chief Electoral Office’s fact-finding report. The ECI may instruct the AAP to desist from such uncalled for protests in future, failing which the party stands the risk of being derecognised. In a related development, the AAP in its reply to a showcause notice by the District Election Officer (DEO) stated that it was a “spontaneous reaction” to Arvind Kejriwal’s detention in Gujarat. The Electoral Office of Delhi is likely to submit its fact-finding report along with police reports and CCTV footage to the ECI by Saturday.
Top sources told The Pioneer that the ECI is going to take a tough stand and may censure the AAP. “There is a strong possibility of the ECI rebuking the AAP that such incidents must not occur again when the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) is in force. If such incidents happen, the party stands the risk of being derecognised,” informed sources. A fact-finding report by the Chief Electoral Office is being sent to the ECI. “A final decision will be taken by the ECI,” sources added.
In its single-page reply to a notice by the DEO, the AAP leadership stated that the protest was not a “planned event” and maintained that it respects the MCC ahead of the lok Sabha polls scheduled to begin from next month. “The protest was a spontaneous reaction to the happenings in Gujarat and it was not part of the
campaign strategy for the party candidate. The AAP respects the Model Code of Conduct and will cooperate with Election Commission in implementing it,” the reply read. The reply was given by the party’s General Secretary Pankaj Gupta.
According to the DEO Ameya Abhyankar, the reply of the AAP is being examined. “We have also examined CCTV footage and will send out a fact-finding report to the Chief Electoral Office. The report would be sent to the ECI for a final decision,” he said.
In a related development, the Delhi Police had in its report accused the AAP protesters of indulging in “riotous acts and using criminal force” to prevent them from discharging their duty with regard to Wednesday’s protest that had turned violent.