New Delhi [India], January 31 : Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann should have cooperated with the Election Commission's team when it was going to conduct a search at the Kapurthala House, his official residence in Delhi.
Sarma emphasised that the EC is an independent body and urged Mann to refrain from making counter-allegations, adding that if he had concerns about the BJP, he was free to file a complaint with the poll body.
The search was initiated after a complaint regarding alleged "cash distribution" was received on the EC's cVIGIL app.
"Election Commission is an independent body and action will be taken wherever a complaint will be received. Bhagwant Mann is on a constitutional post, he should cooperate when the team comes for a search. He should also stay away from counter-allegations. If you think BJP has done something then you can complain to the EC, but you should cooperate when the team comes for a search," said Sarma.
Earlier on Thursday, the New Delhi district unit of the Election Commission of India issued a clarification amid allegations of raids being conducted at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's Kapurthala House in the national capital.
The commission stated that the Flying Squad Team (FST) was assigned to investigate a complaint received via the 'cVIGIL' application.
"This is to clarify the actions taken in response to cVIGIL Complaint ID 1282744 regarding the alleged distribution of cash at Kapurthala House, New Delhi which falls under the jurisdiction of AC-40, New Delhi," the district election office posted on X.
"Upon receiving the complaint, the FST promptly reached the location of the alleged violation at Kapurthala House. However, the team is not being permitted by the security personnel to enter the premises to verify the complaint," the post further read.
Returning Officer of New Delhi constituency, OP Pandey, stated that the search could not be conducted as the doors of the rooms were locked.
Responding, on a post on X, Mann alleged that Delhi Police and Election Commission were defaming Punjabis at the behest of the BJP.
Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann also alleged that Delhi Police raided his residence, the Kapurthala House, in the national capital, saying that his entire house was searched including a cabin, consisting of clothing for women in his family.
"Today, Delhi Police raided my Chief Minister's residence Kapurthala House in Delhi. The entire house was searched. They even checked the clothes boxes of the women in my family. Will you tell me what was found?" Mann asked in a post on X.
He challenged Delhi Police to conduct "raids" at the residences of Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders, which are merely 500 meters away from its office. He said that this shows the frustration of the BJP.
"The houses of BJP members are just 500 meters away from the Delhi Police office, will they dare to raid their houses? Or is it only the Aam Aadmi Party and Punjabis with whom this can happen? All this is the frustration of BJP's (impending) defeat. Raiding the house of a Chief Minister like this is highly condemnable," Mann remarked.
He further stressed that no action is being taken against Bharatiya Janata Party leader Parvesh Verma while he is "openly distributing" cash.
Notably, Aam Aadmi Party has repeatedly alleged that Verma, a BJP candidate from the 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.
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.
Aam Aadmi Party national convenor Arvind Kejriwal on Thursday evening accused the Bharatiya Janata Party 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 BJP of indulging in "hooliganism" for allegedly raiding the house of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann.
Samajwadi Party (SP) chief Akhilesh Yadav, who accompanied Kejriwal, said that the BJP was rattled due to the "positive" politics of AAP and thus, was using raids as an instrument.
"BJP should accept that negative politics will not work in the country. AAP's positive politics will defeat them (in the assembly elections). This is why they are rattled. This is why they are using raids as an instrument. They are diving," Yadav said.