
NEW DELHI: AAP National Convener Arvind Kejriwal has written to the Chief Election Commissioner (CEC), demanding urgent intervention over attacks on his party’s volunteers in the New Delhi Assembly Constituency.
Citing multiple incidents of ‘illegal detentions and coercion’ ahead of the elections, Kejriwal alleged that AAP workers could be targeted en masse on polling day to cripple their campaign. Demanding urgent intervention, he called for an independent observer, security for AAP workers, and strict action against police officers acting under political pressure.
Addressing CEC Rajiv Kumar, the AAP National Convenor stated, “I am writing to express my grave concern over the intimidation and harassment being meted out to our grass-root volunteers in the New Delhi Assembly Constituency at the hands of BJP workers and Delhi Police in the run-up to the election day.”
“On Saturday, our senior volunteer Chetan (resident of Princess Park Part-2) was unlawfully detained and booked under section 126 of BNSS, 2023 at Tilak Marg Police Station, on the baseless and fictitious grounds that he has previous cases registered against him, while there are none,” Kejriwal said.
“He was brazenly charged with actions that he had never committed. He was also subjected to severe physical abuse by the Police officials to the point that he fainted and subsequently rushed to Lady Harding Hospital," he mentioned.
"Later on, after a lot of struggle, he has produced before the Return Officer/ SDM concerned and granted bail, in a matter in which he was brazenly framed,” he continued.
Kejriwal shared that in another similar incident, senior volunteer Om Prakash (resident of Jodhpur Mess, Pandara Road) received a call from Tilak Marg Police Station and was asked to be present at the police station as SHO wanted to speak to him.
When he reached the police station he was unlawfully detained and booked under section 126 of BNSS, 2023, on the baseless and fictitious grounds that he has previous cases registered against him, while there are none.
Later on, after a lot of struggle, he was produced before the Return Officer/ SDM concerned and granted bail, in a matter in which he was brazenly and visibly framed.
The AAP Chief further mentioned, “This is not an isolated incident, over the last month several of our volunteers, while they were canvassing, were threatened, detained and even assaulted by the BJP workers. BJP workers have gone to the extent of threatening the families of our volunteers and even threatening to destroy their homes and shops."