NEW DELHI: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Monday denied having made any caste reference in an election advertisement that mocked Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal and accused AAP of giving it a religious and castiest connotation.
"It is extremely sad that certain political parties are trying to convert a political statement. An expression, used to represent that political party's ideology, has been sought to be converted on religious ground," BJP leader Piyush Goyal said here Monday.
"This is a political commentary on their (AAP) ideology, that is anarchy. The term has been metaphorically used but it is being twisted and misused by the AAP," he said.
"It is a conspiracy of AAP to give religious and casteist tone to smooth election process," the BJP leader said, adding that BJP will approach the Election Commission on the issue.
AAP on Monday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against BJP for allegedly targeting party leader Arvind Kejriwal's "gotra" (sub-caste) in an advertisement.
"Today we went to the Election Commission to complain against the way BJP has started its advertisement attack. BJP has crossed all limits now, they have tagged an entire sect of the Indian society and called them 'upadravi'," AAP National Secretary Pankaj Gupta said.
He said, "By putting out this kind of an advertisement they have violated the Model Code of Conduct against which have requested the commission to take strict and prompt action."
The advertisement, third in the series released by BJP, targets Kejriwal for allegedly threatening to disrupt the Republic Day celebrations last year while complaining over not getting an invite this year.
Gupta said, "The whole society is watching what kind of divisive policies the ruling party is playing up and the way they are trying to divide the party on the lines of religion."