Delhi Public Works Department engineer booked for allowing CM Atishi to ‘misuse’ official vehicle
The government-owned car was allegedly used to deliver campaign material to the chief minister’s election office, in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
An engineer with the Public Works Department in Delhi has been booked for allowing the alleged misuse of a government vehicle by Chief Minister Atishi, reported The Indian Express on Tuesday.
The government-owned car was allegedly used to deliver campaign material to the chief minister’s election office, in violation of the Model Code of Conduct.
The Model Code of Conduct came into force on January 7, when the Election Commission announced the poll schedule for the Delhi Assembly elections. Voting will take place in a single phase on February 5 and the counting of votes will take place on February 8.
The code is a set of guidelines issued by the poll panel that political parties, candidates and the government must follow during an election. It sets guardrails for speeches, campaigning, meetings, processions, election manifestos and other aspects of the polls.
The code bans the use of official or government vehicles for campaigning, electioneering or election related travel.
“While the alleged political use of the vehicle involves Atishi, the first information report has been filed against Sanjay Kumar [of the Public Works Department], as he is the custodian of the vehicle,” an unidentified official told The Indian Express.
The FIR against Kumar was registered on January 11 for allegedly disobeying orders issued by a public servant and allegedly failing to prevent the misuse of the vehicle under sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita.
Several news outlets had initially erroneously reported that the FIR was registered against Atishi.
In response, the Aam Aadmi Party’s national convener Arvind Kejriwal stated: “Their leaders openly distribute money, sarees, blankets, gold chains etc., get fake votes made, yet not even a first information report is registered.”
“But an FIR is immediately registered against Chief Minister Atishi ji,” he added. “Aam Aadmi Party is fighting against the entire system. This rotten system has to be changed and cleaned together with the people. Both BJP and Congress are part of the same rotten system.”
