Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Atishi received a defamation notice from the Delhi wing of the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Delhi over her claim that the saffron party invited her to join them or she would be the next in line to get arrested.
The BJP also demanded a public apology for her claim that the saffron party approached her through a “very close” person to join it. The defamation notice was issued on April 2.
Reacting to the development, Atishi said the BJP should fight with the AAP in elections rather than attacking AAP leaders through such means. The AAP leader will also address a press briefing on the matter at 2 pm on Friday.
Earlier this week, the Delhi minister claimed that she and three other AAP leaders — Saurabh Bharadwaj, Raghav Chadha, and Durgesh Pathak — would be arrested soon and said that she was advised to join the BJP or be ready to be arrested by the Enforcement Directorate in a month.
Delhi BJP chief Virendra Sachdeva said a defamation notice has been sent to Atishi, demanding a public apology for her claim.
“Atishi failed to provide evidence of who approached her, how and when. The AAP is undergoing a crisis in Delhi, which is why they are making such baseless allegations out of frustration. But we will not let her get away with this,” he said. Sachdeva asked Atishi to submit her phone to an investigation agency to prove her claim.
A Delhi BJP’s lawyer said the party has sent a defamation notice to Atishi to withdraw her statement which he termed “false, defamatory, and concocted” and claimed was made with a “mala fide intent”.
“You are requested to immediately withdraw the said speech and telecast your apology prominently on television and social media failing which my client shall be constrained to initiate, both criminal and civil, proceedings against you, at your own risk and cost,” the defamation notice read.
Election Commission Asks Atishi to Back Her Claims
The Election Commission of India on Friday issued a show-cause notice to Delhi minister Atishi, asking her to back with facts her statement that the BJP approached her to join the party.
The move comes a day after the BJP approached the poll body against Atishi’s “false statement” that the party had reached out to her through someone close and asked her to join it.
The Election Commission notice to Atishi read, “…you are a minister in the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi and leader of a national party. The electors tend to believe whatever is being said from the public forum by their leaders and in that sense, the statements made by them affect the campaign discourse.”
(With PTI inputs)
Comments
0 comment