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Kejriwal's bribery remarks: Delhi HC asks EC to place model code of conduct

NEW DELHI: The Delhi High Court on Tuesday asked the Election Commission to place before it the model code of conduct (MCC), which EC claims was violated by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal by his bribery remarks during the Goa Assembly election campaign.

Justice Yogesh Khanna said he wants to see the MCC which according to the EC was violated by Kejriwal and hence order of censure, and later a direction for lodging an FIR was issued against him by the poll panel in January last year. The court asked EC to place the MCC before it by the next date of hearing on January 17.

Kejriwal's lawyers, during the hearing, sought that till the matter is before the court, the EC be asked not to take any action against him, especially in view of commencement of poll campaigning in Haryana in January. The court, however, refused to grant any interim relief to the chief minister, saying it wants to see the model code of conduct first.

The court was hearing an application moved by the AAP convenor seeking a stay on the poll panel's censure order of January 21, 2017, which said that if he in future repeated such remarks, it would take action against him and his party. Kejriwal, in his plea filed through advocates Rishikesh Kumar and Mohammad Irshad, has contended that such an order amounts to "curtailing" his freedom of speech and expression guaranteed under the Constitution of India.

His lawyers also told the court that no FIR has been lodged against him as ordered by the EC and the issue is pending before a magisterial court in Goa.

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