Kejriwal alleges candidate kidnapped in Gujarat: AAP holds-hour sit-in at ECI office

“The BJP has not only abducted AAP candidate Kanchan Jariwala but abducted democracy itself. The party is visibly flustered after sensing incoming defeat in the Gujarat elections,” Arvind Kejriwal said.

Hours after AAP national convenor and Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal alleged that one of his party candidates who filed nominations from Gujarat’s Surat East seat was kidnapped, senior AAP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia along with party MLAs and workers held a protest outside the Election Commission of India office (ECI) in Delhi. Holding a sit-in for four hours, they demanded that elections in the constituency be postponed till the matter was investigated.

Sisodia also met the Election Commissioner and submitted a complaint.

“The BJP has not only abducted AAP candidate Kanchan Jariwala but abducted democracy itself. The party is visibly flustered after sensing incoming defeat in the Gujarat elections. First, they abducted him and then they threatened him to withdraw his nomination. We demand that the Election Commissioner postpone the elections on the Surat East seat till the entire matter is investigated thoroughly and impartially,” said Sisodia.

Earlier in the day, he held a press conference on the same matter and told the media that Jariwala was last seen with his team at the Election Commission office for the scrutiny of his nomination form.

“BJP goons first pressured him into withdrawing the nomination and when he refused, tried exerting pressure on the Commission officials to reject Jariwala’s nomination. His papers were correct as per the ECI guidelines, and it was not cancelled or rejected. But as soon as he stepped out of the Commission office, he was kidnapped. Since then we have not been able to trace him,” alleged Sisodia.

Sisodia further claimed, “The incident raises questions about the sanctity of the ECI in Gujarat: how can one expect that elections will be conducted fairly if the candidate of the leading party is abducted by the incumbent party?

The Deputy CM further appealed to the ECI to take cognizance of this matter in Gujarat immediately and ensure that no candidate is pressured or harmed during the election. “We have submitted a written complaint in both state and national EC and hope that stringent action will be taken against those involved in the case,” he said.

News Sources – Indian Express