New Delhi [India], January 30 : Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Thursday strongly criticised the 'raids' conducted at his Kapurthala residence in the national capital, and stressed that no action is being taken against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Parvesh Verma while he is "openly distributing" cash.
Aam Aadmi Party has 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.
This comes after Punjab CM Mann, earlier in the day, alleged that a team from the Election Commission along with Delhi Police came to conduct a raid at his Kapurthala House residence and alleged that the poll panel has been overlooking the "open money distribution by the 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.
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 of the New Delhi constituency, OP Pandey, later clarified 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 also emphasised that any citizen can make such a complaint.
AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal also slammed the Bharatiya Janata Party accusing it 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 the BJP of indulging in "hooliganism" 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, and every Punjabi has been insulted. Now the public will not sit silent," Kejriwal said.
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.
Security has been deployed outside Kapurthala House, the official residence of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann in Delhi.