BENGALURU: While AAP was staging a campaign in Sajjan Rao Circle, Chickpet on Wednesday evening at 4 pm, with the support of about 50 differently abled AAP supporters, the Election Commission, Flying squad officer, Keshava VC, stopped them and said “the disabled persons were using wheelchairs and said that AAP needed to get permission to campaign.’’ When AAP volunteers clarified that they indeed had requisite permissions the officer said that they needed to have permissions for “vehicles,’’ since the wheelchairs were considered vehicles.
He thereafter issued a clarification to the media on the spot that AAP has permission but not permission to use vehicles and said a wheelchair is a ``vehicle,’’ and that a “separate permission for a vehicle,’’ is necessary if a disabled person using a wheelchair is campaigning. AAP raised slogans against the EC official on the spot and said, “Bharat Mata ki Jai,’’ and they said he had committed a poll code violation by addressing the media which by law, he is not allowed.
One of the disabled persons, Muniswamy Srinivas said, “This is virtually a part of our body, as we don’t have legs, so how can you consider this as a vehicle?’’ He said, “Most countries across the world especially the West have recognized the wheelchair as a part of our body as a mobility aid for the differently abled.’’
AAP Chickpet Candidate, Brijesh Kalappa, for whom the disabled persons had gathered said, “The same officer Keshava V C, was not following the protocol of displaying his official identity and he did not come with police constables as the law demands.’’
He also said, “Keshava was purposefully picking on AAP volunteers and had stopped them from door-to-door campaigning on Tuesday too.’’ He said, “Uday Garudachar was sensing defeat has been in the forefront of stopping and blocking the AAP campaign.’’ Brijesh Kalappa said, “Wheelchairs cannot be considered vehicles since they do not carry any registration numbers as is mandated by law.’’