Election Commission’s notice to Atishi sparks controversy over impartiality
New Delhi: The Election Commission of India (ECI) has found itself amidst a heated debate after issuing a notice to senior Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi. What initially seemed like a routine notification quickly escalated, prompting questions about the ECI’s impartiality.
In a surprising twist, news of the ECI’s notice to Atishi surfaced in the media even before reaching the AAP leader herself. The sequence of events, where the BJP allegedly leaked the news before the official notice arrived, has sparked concerns and accusations of bias.
Addressing the media, Atishi expressed her apprehensions about the timing and manner of the ECI’s actions. She questioned whether the Election Commission had become a subsidiary of the BJP, stating, “Today, I want to ask the Election Commission of this country, have you become a subsidiary unit of the BJP?”
Atishi highlighted what she viewed as a pattern of selective inaction by the ECI, despite repeated appeals from her party on various issues. She cited instances where the ECI failed to respond to complaints about IT raids at AAP leaders’ residences, the sealing of AAP party offices, and distribution of objectionable campaign material by the BJP.
Further, she questioned the ECI’s handling of complaints from opposition parties compared to those from the ruling BJP. Atishi emphasised, “Why is it that ECI does not take any action on successive complaints from AAP, but within just 12 hours of BJP’s complaint, it sends a notice?”
Drawing parallels with past instances where government agencies took action against opposition parties, Atishi questioned the ECI’s silence in similar circumstances. She queried, “After the implementation of the Model Code of Conduct, if the ED arrests a sitting Chief Minister, does the Election Commission issue a notice to the ED in such cases?”
Atishi’s impassioned plea to the Election Commission urged them to uphold the principles of neutrality and fairness in electoral processes. She cautioned, “If today, Mr Rajiv Kumar, Mr Gyanesh Kumar, and Dr Sukhbir Singh Sandhu fail to ensure free and fair elections and a level playing field, then for all the wrong reasons, the entire country will remember all three of you for the coming 100 years.”
Meanwhile, the BJP responded sharply to Atishi’s allegations, with Delhi BJP president Virendra Sachdeva accusing her of being a product of the “school of naxalism.” Sachdeva criticised Atishi’s political conduct and called for her party to emulate the precedent set by former Delhi Chief Minister Madan Lal Khurana.
