Aam Aadmi Party complains against BJP's casteist ad attack

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Monday filed a complaint with the Election Commission against the BJP for allegedly targeting party leader Arvind Kejriwal's "gotra" (sub-caste) in an advertisement.

"Today we went to the Election Commission to complain against the way BJP has started its advertisement attack. BJP has crossed all limits now, they have tagged an entire sect of the Indian society and called them 'upadravi'," AAP National Secretary Pankaj Gupta said. "By putting out this kind of an advertisement they have violated the Model Code of Conduct against which have requested the commission to take strict and prompt action."

The advertisement, third in the series released by BJP, targets Kejriwal for allegedly threatening to disrupt the Republic Day celebrations last year while complaining over not getting an invite this year.

Gupta said, "The whole society is watching what kind of divisive policies the ruling party is playing up and the way they are trying to divide the party on the lines of religion."

In the first advertisement of the series, BJP also triggered a controversy by showing anti-corruption crusader Anna Hazare's sketch with a garland. "We were suspicious from the beginning that they have nothing to say about developing Delhi, other than making personal attacks on Kejriwal. Still there are two more days left, we are waiting for them to say something positive, other than making this kind of attacks," Gupta said.

BJP also approached EC today alleging that Aam Aadmi Party have violated the model code by trying to give 'casteist and religious' tone to a 'political statement' made by it in the advertisement.