New Delhi [India]: Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann has alleged that a team from the Election Commission, accompanied by Delhi Police, arrived to conduct a raid at his official residence in Kapurthala House, Delhi. He accused the poll panel of ignoring the “open money distribution” by BJP members.
In a post on X, Mann claimed that both the Election Commission and Delhi Police were working at the behest of the BJP to malign Punjabis.
“Today, a team of Election Commission 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 also raised concerns, stating that while BJP members were distributing money and gifts in broad daylight, law enforcement authorities chose instead to target an elected Chief Minister.
“Delhi Police has reached to raid Bhagwant Mann’s house in Delhi. BJP people are distributing money, shoes, bedsheets in broad daylight – that is not visible. Instead, they reach to raid the residence of an elected Chief Minister. Wow BJP! Delhi people will give the answer on the 5th,” Atishi posted on X.
However, sources from the Election Commission denied any such raid, stating that no official action had been taken at Kapurthala House.
Meanwhile, OP Pandey, the Returning Officer for the New Delhi constituency, explained that authorities were responding to a complaint about money distribution.
“We have to dispose of the complaint in 100 minutes. Our FST (Flying Squad Team) had come here, but they were not allowed to enter. I have come here to request permission for our team to enter along with a cameraperson. We will come back after an enquiry. The complaint of money distribution was received on the cVIGIL app,” Pandey stated.
AAP leaders, including Manish Sisodia and Durgesh Pathak, criticized the Election Commission, accusing it of double standards.
“The EC is not seeing the distribution of cash, sarees, and other things (being done by the BJP)…The EC conducts fake raids and spreads false rumours among people…People should check the facts,” said Sisodia.
Pathak asserted that the public stood with AAP, despite what he described as attempts to undermine the party.
“We got to know that Delhi Police and ECI are 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.
Security has been increased outside Kapurthala House following the controversy.