New Delhi, 30 March 2024;
The Aam Aadmi Party has expressed strong objection to the double standards adopted by the Election Commission for the upcoming Lok Sabha elections. INDIA alliance’s constituent Aam Aadmi Party’s Lok Sabha candidate for New Delhi constituency, Shri Somnath Bharti, said that like the ED, now the Election Commission is also working as an agent of the BJP. The BJP is misusing the police to stop INDIA alliance candidates from campaigning and the Election Commission is not taking any action.
Shri Somnath Bharti stated that on Friday he was campaigning in Delhi Cantt along with MLA Virendra Kadian, when the police came and stopped him from campaigning citing Section 144. The police are asking for permission letter from the Election Commission for campaigning, whereas the EC is saying that it will give the permission letter after the nominations are filed. “In such a situation, how are we supposed to conduct election campaigns? The AAP demands that the Election Commission must take appropriate steps to ensure that elections are conducted fairly,” he said.
Addressing a press conference on Saturday, Somnath Bharti said the Election Commission is an important unit of any democracy. As per EC’s website, their definition is ‘The Election Commission of India is an autonomous constitutional authority, responsible for administering union, state election processes in India. The body administers elections to Lok Sabha, Rajya Sabha, state legislative assemblies in India, and offices of the President and the Vice-President of the country.’
“The EC says that it is an autonomous body but how autonomous has it been so far? What has been said otherwise in the constitution of India? I would also like to read that out because in the given situation here in India, what Article 324 of the Constitution of India says that election process in India is solely to be run by the Election Commission and nobody else. So, what is the sanctity? I have evidence that the EC is not fulfilling its duty constitutionally,” he stated.
Shri Somnath Bharti said I would like to remind you how the situation changed after the election dates were announced. There was a time when Shri T N Seshan was heading the EC, even the central government had to follow his directives. Once the election dates are announced, the command of the country goes to the Election Commission, who must ensure that the elections are fought fair and without any pressure. Unfortunately, in the last few days, the EC has established that it is not fair, it is working as an agent of the BJP.
He said it is absurd to first arrest our leaders and then stop us from campaigning for the upcoming elections. What does Shri Modi want? For us to sit at our homes? Addressing the BJP and Shri Narendra Modi, he stated, “Say it clearly that you have imposed emergency in the country, and we should all sit back at our homes.”
Citing a video, the AAP candidate from New Delhi Constituency in the Lok Sabha elections expressed his displeasure over the obstruction in free and fair election campaigning by the BJP. He stated that when he reached Delhi Cantonment with MLA Virendar Singh Kadian, within five minutes of campaigning, they were surrounded by massive police forces. “SHO Shri Vipin, along with Mr. Tewatia treated us as if we have committed a huge crime. They said that they would not let us campaign. They asked me to show permission saying that the EC has still not registered your nomination, only after the nomination you would be granted permission to campaign. Then they told us that Section 144 has been imposed in Delhi. When asked to show the documents, they told me that the papers are in the police station.”
“A day ago, ex-CJI Shri UU Lalit said in an assembly that peaceful protest is one’s constitutional right. He said this because Section 144 is rampantly being implemented in Delhi. It has been challenged multiple times in the High Court. Its mandate says that you have to mention the specific reason for implementing the section areas where it is imposed. No police officer gives any reason, the BJP is misusing the police to suppress the election campaigning of the AAP-INDIA alliance candidates,” he said.
Shri Somnath Bharti added how it is the responsibility of the Election Commission to ensure that elections are conducted fairly. He stated, ‘On 21 March, the ED arrested the National AAP Convenor, Shri Arvind Kejriwal, and the EC is silent. On 22 March, when protests were held against the arrest, Delhi was turned into a police cantonment. On March 23, when we tried to take a pledge at Shaheedi Park, when many prominent ministers joined, the location was turned into a police cantonment. On that day too, I was put in a bus and detained for a long time. Then on March 24, when we organised a candle march in Delhi, the police tried to stop us. On March 26, when we were going to gherao the PM House, we were stopped.”
Wherever the BJP is holding protests, there is no police force but wherever the AAP is protesting, the police is there to stop us. Even if someone gets hurt during this, the police do not care. On March 27, when we were distributing pamphlets at Metro stations, they tried to stop us. On March 28, when Shri Arvind Kejriwal was presented before the court, many AAP leaders were detained.
Shri Somnath Bharti said in my view, the Election Commission is clearly acting like BJP’s agency, just like the ED. Earlier, the three members of the team that elects the members of the Election Commission included the Prime Minister of India, the Chief Justice of India, and the Leader of Opposition (LOP). The BJP led central government changed the team by passing a bill of replacing the CJI with Prime Minister’s representative. If two out of three people are from the BJP, then how can we expect the EC to function without any bias?
He said I would like to tell this to Delhi and the entire nation through the media that on one side, the BJP has arrested our senior leaders, whether it is Shri Manish Sisodia, Shri Satyendar Jain, Shri Sanjay Singh, or Shri Arvind Kejriwal, and on the other hand, when I am trying to campaign as a candidate, the BJP’s police is detaining me and not letting me campaign for the upcoming elections. How do we campaign for the elections then?
Shri Somnath Bharti said it is the duty of the Election Commission to ensure that the elections are conducted fairly. Through this press meet, I am conveying this to the EC that if they are fair, then they must take action against the atrocities of the BJP.
When I met Shri Arvind Kejriwal after his arrest, I would like to tell everyone what he said to me. He said, “Somnath, we are born to serve the people and we are ready to die for the people and the country. We will do that. The way Bhagat Singh fought with the Britishers, every citizen who loves the country will fight with these dictators.”
The INDIA alliance’s Lok Sabha candidate from New Delhi constituency said, “The police have been clearly instructed by the BJP to stop us from campaigning. Free and fair elections seem impossible in India. The EC must take cognizance of this and take necessary action to ensure that the elections are conducted fairly.”
