NEW DELHI: In a significant turn of event, a show-cause notice was issued to AAP leader and Delhi Minister Atishi by the Election Commission of India (ECI) in connection with an alleged violation of the election code.
The poll body stated that Atishi, holding a position of power, can wield influence over voters and must back her claims with factual evidence and she was also asked to submit her response by 5 pm this Saturday.
"You are hereby called upon to furnish your para-wise response to the matter latest by 17.00 hrs of 6th April 2024," said the EC.
Atishi, who is playing a crucial role in handling the affairs of the AAP following the arrest of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP Supremo Arvind Kejriwal, had accused the BJP of persuading her to switch over to their party in order to salvage her political career.
On Tuesday, Atishi leveled a serious allegation by claiming that the saffron party approached her through someone very close and asked her to join their side to save her political career.
The AAP leader added that the ruling BJP threatened her with an arrest by the ED within a month's time if she did not jump ship.
This serious allegation prompted the BJP to file a defamation notice against Atishi and the ruling party also demanded a public apology from her in this regard.
Meanwhile, Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva slammed Atishi for not providing evidence to substantiate her claims and accused the AAP of resorting to baseless allegations owing to their internal crisis.
The BJP lodged a complaint with the ECI, terming Atishi's scathing attack as misleading and unverified.
"The AAP is undergoing a crisis in Delhi, which is why they are making such baseless allegations out of frustration. But we will not let her get away with this," said the BJP leader.
Notably, the model code of conduct is currently in effect nationwide due to the upcoming Lok Sabha elections, spanning a three-month period, heralded as the world's largest democratic exercise.
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