CM Atishi writes to EC, alleges AAP volunteers intimidated by BJP workers in her constituency
New Delhi, Jan 21 (IANS/WISHAVWARTA) Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) workers and volunteers are being abused, intimidated and threatened with consequences by the BJP workers in Kalkaji’s Govindpuri area, Delhi Chief Minister and party nominee Atishi said in her complaint to the Election Commission officer.
She also demanded the deployment of security forces in her Kallkaji constituency to ensure the safety and security of the AAP volunteers.
In a letter to the Returning Officer on Tuesday, Atishi flagged recent incidents of ‘verbal abuse and physical altercation’ directed at the AAP workers by BJP men in her constituency and demanded that the poll body acts swiftly to rein in the ‘hooligans’ for maintaining a safe atmosphere ahead of polls.
“BJP workers are openly threatening AAP volunteers without any fear. It is alarming that if these workers are getting so aggressive with AAP, then one can imagine the kind of influence it would have on voters in these areas,” she wrote in the letter.
Atishi also dragged BJP candidate Ramesh Bidhuri’s name in her complaint over the latter’s ‘insulting and derogatory’ remarks against her.
She also claimed that BJP nominee Ramesh Bidhuri has gone ‘unpunished’ despite his abusive slurs and this was sending a signal to BJP workers to get more brazen.
Giving details of verbal and physical ‘assault’ on AAP workers, she informed that volunteers like Rakha Bassi, Sanjay Gupta, Aradhna, Sumita Pandey, Sher Singh and Hari Shankar Gupta were among others who found themselves at the receiving end of BJP’s hooliganism.
She claimed that BJP men grabbed them by the collar, hurled abuses and threatened them with physical harm.
In an incident, a few days ago, an AAP worker was slapped by BJP counterparts during a door-to-door campaign, she said in her complaint.
Atishi said that the current atmosphere was a threat to free and fair elections in the Kalkaji constituency and hence it’s imperative that security forces are deployed in the area for the safety and security of AAP workers.
