EC pulls up Kejriwal, asks Goa officials to file FIR
NEW DELHI — The Election Commission on Sunday pulled up Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal for targeting it and told Goa officials to file an FIR against him for telling voters to take money from other political parties but vote for the AAP.
The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) said it was a non-cognizable offence and hence no FIR can be registered over the matter.
Taking notice of a media report wherein the AAP leader attacked the Election Commission wondering if it was taking orders from the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), the poll panel called the remarks “baseless”, “scurrilous” and “highly depreciable”.
“The substance, tone and tenor of the address/interview are not only baseless and scurrilous but also unethical and highly depreciable against Election Commission, a constitutional authority,” the commission said in a strongly-worded letter to Kejriwal.
Taking umbrage to Kejriwal’s remarks made during his campaign for the Goa assembly polls, the Election Commission directed that a First Information Report be slapped against him.
“We have been asked to file an FIR and send a compliance report by January 31,” an official source said in Panaji.
The AAP said the communication received from the Election Commission directs Kejriwal not to make such statements and does not convey that any criminal case has been registered against him.
It added that since it was a noncognizable offense, no FIR can be registered over the matter.
“However, it is being reported that some order has been passed by the Election Commission for registration of FIR/complaint. But no such order has been communicated to Kejriwal,” the AAP said in a statement.
It said the party will avail legal remedies if such an order was passed by the poll panel.
In all his four speeches at various rallies in Goa, Kejriwal said people should not just accept Rs5,000 but demand Rs10,000 from politicians keen on offering money but vote for AAP instead.
“These statements are probably wrong and indefensible as per the provisions of law on bribery and is not acceptable to the commission,” the panel said.
The commission had censured Kejriwal on January 20 on the same issue. —