Delhi Polls: AAP criticizes "raids" at Bhagwant Mann's residence, ECI says action based on complaint of distributing cash

New Delhi [India], January 30 : The Bharatiya Janata Party and Aam Aadmi Party locked horns in the run up to the Delhi Assembly Elections following the 'raid' held at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's Kapurthala residence in the national capital.
While, AAP questioned the action at CM Mann's residence while claiming no action being taken against BJP leaders, New Delhi district unit of the Election Commission of India clarified that the action was taken after a complaint of "money distribution" was received on the cVIGIL app.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday alleged that Delhi Police raided his residence, the Kapurthala House, in the national capital, saying that his entire house was searched including a cabin, consisting of clothing for women in his family.
"Today, Delhi Police raided my Chief Minister's residence Kapurthala House in Delhi. The entire house was searched. They even checked the clothes boxes of the women in my family. Will you tell me what was found?" Mann asked in a post on X.
He challenged Delhi Police to conduct "raids" at the residences of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, which are merely 500 meters away from its office. He said that this shows the frustration of the BJP.
"The houses of BJP members are just 500 meters away from the Delhi Police office, will they dare to raid their houses? Or is it only the Aam Aadmi Party and Punjabis with whom this can happen? All this is the frustration of BJP's (impending) defeat. Raiding the house of a Chief Minister like this is highly condemnable," Mann remarked.
He further stressed that no action is being taken against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Parvesh Verma while he is "openly distributing" cash.
Notably, Aam Aadmi Party has repeatedly alleged that Verma, BJP candidate from New Delhi Assembly, has been distributing cash and several other items ahead of the assembly elections.
"Parvesh Verma is openly distributing cash but they can't see him. He tweets and informs where he will distribute money. They don't pay attention to that. But the raid is conducted at the residence of Bhagwant Mann, Arvind Kejriwal, Saurabh Bharadwaj. Are we criminals? What have we done?" Mann remarked while addressing the gathering at a public rally in Greater Kailash.
Meanwhile, the New Delhi district unit of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday issued a clarification amid allegations of raids being conducted at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's Kapurthala House in the national capital. The commission stated that the Flying Squad Team (FST) was assigned to investigate a complaint received via the 'cVIGIL' application.
The cVIGIL app allows citizens to report alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), requiring appropriate action within a stipulated 100-minute time frame.
"This is to clarify the actions taken in response to cVIGIL Complaint ID 1282744 regarding the alleged distribution of cash at Kapurthala House, New Delhi which falls under jurisdiction of AC-40, New Delhi," the district election office posted on X.
"Upon receiving the complaint, the FST promptly reached the location of the alleged violation at Kapurthala House. However, the team is not being permitted by the security personnel to enter the premises to verify the complaint," the post further read.
Returning Officer of New Delhi constituency, OP Pandey, stated that the search could not be conducted as the doors of the rooms were locked.
"We were told that we can check the periphery here (Kapurthala House). There were locks on the doors of the rooms. We are going back now. Search could not be conducted," Pandey told reporters outside Kapurthala House.
Meanwhile, the Punjab CM alleged that a team from the Election Commission, accompanied by Delhi Police, came to conduct a raid at his Kapurthala House residence. He accused the poll panel of overlooking the "open money distribution by BJP people."
In a post on X, Mann alleged that Delhi Police and Election Commission were defaming Punjabis at the behest of the BJP.
"Today, a team of Election Commission team along with Delhi Police has come to conduct a raid at my residence Kapurthala House in Delhi. BJP people are openly distributing money in Delhi but Delhi Police and Election Commission are seeing this. No action is being taken on all this. In a way, Delhi Police and Election Commission, at the behest of BJP, are defaming Punjabis, which is very condemnable," Mann posted on X.
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi had earlier claimed that Delhi Police had reached Kapurthala House, where Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stays during his visits to the national capital, but sources in the Election Commission had said that no such raid has been conducted.
Election Commission sources had earlier said that the poll panel has not conducted any raid on the Delhi residence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Kapurthala House.
Returning Officer Pandey later said they received a complaint about money distribution.
"We have to dispose of the complaint in 100 minutes. Our FST had come here which was not allowed to enter. I have come here to request them to let us enter along with a cameraperson. We will come back after an enquiry. The complaint of money distribution was received on the cVIGIL app," Pandey said when asked about the purpose of the visit.
He said any citizen can make such a complaint.
AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused the Election Commission of double standards.
"The EC is not seeing the distribution of cash, saree and other things (being done by the BJP)...The EC conducts fake raids and spreads false rumours among people...People should check the facts..."
AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said people are with the ruling party in Delhi.
"We got to know that Delhi Police, ECI is conducting a raid at the residence of Punjab CM (Kapurthala House). The whole world can see how BJP is openly distributing money but ECI can't see it. The public is with us," he said.
Meanwhile, Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday evening accused the Bharatiya Janata Party of distributing "gold chains" and "money" ahead of the upcoming assembly elections in Delhi. Taking a jibe, he said "raids are being conducted" at the residence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, while it is the BJP leaders who are distributing money and other items.
"I don't understand this when it is the BJP leaders who are distributing money and other items including sarees, jackets, shoes, shawls and gold chains, but the raid is being conducted on Punjab CM," Kejriwal told reporters during a roadshow in Kirari assembly elections.
In a post on X, Kejriwal further accused BJP of indulging in "holliganism" for allegedly raiding the house of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
"Look at the open hooliganism of BJP- BJP leaders are openly distributing money, jackets, saris, shoes. The police and the Election Commission are acting blind despite seeing everything. The law has become a joke for the BJP. On the other hand, they are raiding the house of the Punjab CM without any proof. If this is not hooliganism then what is? The BJP has made the government system its fiefdom. Democracy is being strangled. The Chief Minister elected by the people of Punjab has been insulted, every Punjabi has been insulted. Now the public will not sit silent," Kejriwal said.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, who accompanied Kejriwal, said that the BJP was rattled due to the "positive" politics of AAP and thus, was using raids as an instrument."BJP should accept that negative politics will not work in the country. AAP's positive politics will defeat them (in the assembly elections). This is why they are rattled. This is why they are using raids as an instrument. They are diving," Yadav said.
Security was also deployed outside Kapurthala House, the official residence of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann in Delhi.