Lok Sabha elections 2019: AAP legal notice to BJP, Gambhir over pamphlet

This comes a day after Gambhir issued a legal notice to Atishi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia for “wrongly and erroneously” alleging that the pamphlets were distributed by him.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has sent a legal notice to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its East Delhi candidate Gautam Gambhir for their role in the circulation of a derogatory pamphlet against the AAP’s East Delhi candidate, Atishi. This comes a day after Gambhir issued a legal notice to Atishi, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia for “wrongly and erroneously” alleging that the pamphlets were distributed by him.

The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has sent a legal notice to the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and its East Delhi candidate Gautam Gambhir for their role in the circulation of a derogatory pamphlet against the AAP’s East Delhi candidate, Atishi. (Raj K Raj/HT PHOTO)

Atishi, who was accompanied by Sisodia at a press conference on Thursday, accused Gambhir of distributing pamphlets that contained derogatory remarks against her. Sisodia said the “language in the pamphlet is so abusive and low that everybody will feel ashamed while reading it.”

In the legal notice issued to BJP and Gambhir, AAP said the pamphlet is a “product of a concerted strategy hatched and devised” by the BJP “think-tank”. The party said they suspect the BJP of circulating the pamphlet because many of their leaders had made similar comments against Atishi in the past.

AAP, in its legal notice, further said the pamphlet was in violation of the Model Code of Conduct and contained “false, baseless, incorrect, unverified and misleading statements”.

The AAP has sought “a complete, express, unqualified and unambiguous apology” in writing and printing it in newspapers in Delhi, “along with true and correct facts” within 24 hours of receipt of the notice, failing which they will proceed with criminal defamation and civil suits against BJP and Gambhir.

Delhi BJP spokesperson Praveen Shankar Kapoor said they will issue a statement only after receiving the notice. Gambhir had on Thursday “categorically and vehemently denied any relation to the alleged pamphlet” and, in response, sent a defamation notice to Atishi.