Sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra accused Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday of laundering money.&nbsp;

He said, at a press conference called by him, that the Aam Aadmi Party had lied to the election commission about the funding it had got.&nbsp;

In the financial year&nbsp;2013-14, he said, the party had Rs 45 crore in its bank account but it told the &nbsp;EC it had got only Rs 9 crore in donations.

Mishra said the party had hidden Rs 36 crore.

He said the party acquired the money through shell companies.

Mishra added that the party converted black money into white through hawala transactions.&nbsp;

Then, a little after he started making his allegations, Mishra fainted.&nbsp;

Mishra has been on a hunger strike for five days now. He says the strike is indefinite.&nbsp;

Mishra, who used to be Delhi&#39;s water minister, was unexpectedly sacked on May 6.

The Aam Aadmi Party says it was because of poor performance.&nbsp;

(WION)

Mishra fainted a little after he started making his allegations at a press conference called by him

Sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra accused Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday of laundering money. He said, at a press conference called by him, that the Aam Aadmi Party had lied to the election commission about the funding it had got. In the financial year 2013-14, he said, the party had Rs 45 crore in its bank account but it told the EC it had got only Rs 9 crore in donations. Mishra said the party had hidden Rs 36 crore. He said the party acquired the money through shell companies. Mishra added that the party converted black money into white through hawala transactions. Then, a little after he started making his allegations, Mishra fainted. Mishra has been on a hunger strike for five days now. He says the strike is indefinite. Mishra, who used to be Delhi's water minister, was unexpectedly sacked on May 6. The Aam Aadmi Party says it was because of poor performance. (WION)

Sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra accuses Kejriwal of laundering money, then faints

The Election Commission formally threw a &quot;challenge&quot; to political parties to prove EVMs used in the recent assembly polls were tampered with after several opposition parties questioned their reliability and demanded going back to the paper ballot system. Several major opposition parties had claimed the faith of people in the machines has eroded.

While announcing the challenge at an all-party meeting convened by the Commission here, Chief Election Commission Nasim Zaidi, however, did not mention any date for the proposed event.

He said parties can try and prove that EVMs can be tampered with even under strict technical and administrative safeguards as applicable during elections.

Reacting to the EC&rsquo;s &lsquo;challenge&rsquo;, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: &ldquo;Sad that EC has backed out of hackathon.&rdquo;

Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, who took part in an all-party meet called by the EC for a discussion on the reliability of EVMs, claimed that the devices could be hacked.

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&quot;We welcomed the challenge and requested the EC to allow us to pick up the EVMs used in the recent Assembly elections. We will hack them as we have demonstrated in the Delhi Assembly that such a machine can be tampered with,&quot; he told reporters after the meeting.&nbsp;

Sisodia, however, expressed reservation over the outcome of the &quot;challenge&quot;, saying the EC should rather go for a &quot;hackathon&quot;, which will allow experts and technocrats to point out the &quot;shortcomings&quot; in the EVMs.

&quot;We suggested to the EC that it should conduct a hackathon, which will give an opportunity to the experts to find faults with the machines. A hackathon will enable the poll panel to weed out any shortcoming in the EVMs and make them foolproof,&quot; he said.

Sources in the Commission said AAP&#39;s Manish Sisodia preferred to use the term &#39;hackathon&#39;. But some Commission officials said the challenge cannot be termed as hackathon as no internet or remote access to the EVM was involved. &quot;EC refuses to go for a hackathon. It said we will throw a challenge to prove that EVMs were tampered with in recent polls,&quot; Sisodia tweeted.

An EC official said the challenge will not be restricted to machines used in recent assembly polls. &quot;Other machines will also be available. But since allegations were regarding the elections, the CEC made specific mention,&quot; he said.

This is for the first time that Zaidi or the Commission has gone on record on the proposed challenge.

&quot;Although use of VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail system) with EVMs will ensure total credibility and transparency and put to rest all controversy, the Commission will, after today&#39;s meeting, hold a challenge,&quot; he said.

It will offer an opportunity to political parties to demonstrate that EVM used in recent elections were tampered with or that the machines can be tampered with even under strict technical and administrative safeguards as applicable during elections, Zaidi said.

At the meeting, most of the parties said future elections should be held using EVMs provided they are attached to paper trail machines.

There were, however, some parties whose representatives said their faith in the machines has eroded and the EC should revert to the old ballot paper system.

While BJP, CPI, CPI (M), AIADMK, DMK, NCP and JD(U) clearly supported use of EVMs, provided paper trail machines are attached to it, BSP, AAP, Trinamool Congress said the paper ballot system was better and more transparent.

The Congress was of the view that if EVMs are used there should be transparency at every level so that political parties and voters are separately convinced about the reliability of the machine. It said the Supreme Court has been stressing on more transparency, which necessarily does not mean use of EVMs. It said paper trail machines with all EVMs in future elections was fine.

The BSP and AAP had alleged that the machines used in the recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab were tampered with and favoured the BJP. Later, several other parties had joined the chorus and waned the EC to revert to paper ballots.

Zaidi told parties that their &quot;concerns and apprehensions&quot; regarding EVMs have been taken note of and will be addressed through the &quot;forthcoming challenge&quot; and other measures which the EC will take.

Other electoral reforms such as corporate funding, making bribing of voters a non-bailable offence and disqualifying candidates charge-sheeted by courts for offering bribe to electors also came up for discussion.

Political representatives who attended the meeting said most parties were opposed to the decision that corporate entities would no longer have to name the parties to which they have made a donation. They said it would reduce transparency in funding.

Most of the parties were opposed to the idea of disqualifying candidates charge-sheeted by courts for offering bribe to voters. They felt disqualifying a candidate at charge sheet level was unfair.

They also opposed a proposal to allow EC countermand an election if large-scale use of money power to influence voters comes to light. They said proving use of money power was difficult.

The CEC said the Commission will ensure 100 per cent paper trail coverage in all future elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies.

A particular percentage of VVPATs slips to be determined by the EC will be counted. The poll panel will soon evolve a framework in this regard.

VVPAT is a machine which dispenses a slip with the symbol of the party for which a person has voted for. The slip drops in a box which the voter can see but cannot take home.

Zaidi also said the Commission has &quot;no favourites&quot; and it was equidistant from all parties. &quot;You should be convinced that EC has no favourites...we maintain equidistance from all parties and groups. It is our constitutional and moral duty to stand dead centre of the circle drawn around us by 56 political parties (seven national and 49 state recognised parties),&quot; he said.

His remarks come against the backdrop of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal reportedly questioning the independence of two Election Commissioners A K Joti and O P Rawat.

Following the allegations, Rawat had recused himself from the cases related to disqualification of AAP MLAs the Commission is hearing.&nbsp;

'Sad that EC has backed out of hackathon,' the Delhi chief minister tweeted

The Election Commission formally threw a "challenge" to political parties to prove EVMs used in the recent assembly polls were tampered with after several opposition parties questioned their reliability and demanded going back to the paper ballot system. Several major opposition parties had claimed the faith of people in the machines has eroded. While announcing the challenge at an all-party meeting convened by the Commission here, Chief Election Commission Nasim Zaidi, however, did not mention any date for the proposed event. He said parties can try and prove that EVMs can be tampered with even under strict technical and administrative safeguards as applicable during elections. Reacting to the EC’s ‘challenge’, Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal tweeted: “Sad that EC has backed out of hackathon.” Delhi Deputy Chief Minister and senior AAP leader Manish Sisodia, who took part in an all-party meet called by the EC for a discussion on the reliability of EVMs, claimed that the devices could be hacked. Sad that EC has backed out of hackathon. — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) May 12, 2017 × "We welcomed the challenge and requested the EC to allow us to pick up the EVMs used in the recent Assembly elections. We will hack them as we have demonstrated in the Delhi Assembly that such a machine can be tampered with," he told reporters after the meeting. Sisodia, however, expressed reservation over the outcome of the "challenge", saying the EC should rather go for a "hackathon", which will allow experts and technocrats to point out the "shortcomings" in the EVMs. "We suggested to the EC that it should conduct a hackathon, which will give an opportunity to the experts to find faults with the machines. A hackathon will enable the poll panel to weed out any shortcoming in the EVMs and make them foolproof," he said. Sources in the Commission said AAP's Manish Sisodia preferred to use the term 'hackathon'. But some Commission officials said the challenge cannot be termed as hackathon as no internet or remote access to the EVM was involved. "EC refuses to go for a hackathon. It said we will throw a challenge to prove that EVMs were tampered with in recent polls," Sisodia tweeted. An EC official said the challenge will not be restricted to machines used in recent assembly polls. "Other machines will also be available. But since allegations were regarding the elections, the CEC made specific mention," he said. This is for the first time that Zaidi or the Commission has gone on record on the proposed challenge. "Although use of VVPAT (voter verifiable paper audit trail system) with EVMs will ensure total credibility and transparency and put to rest all controversy, the Commission will, after today's meeting, hold a challenge," he said. It will offer an opportunity to political parties to demonstrate that EVM used in recent elections were tampered with or that the machines can be tampered with even under strict technical and administrative safeguards as applicable during elections, Zaidi said. At the meeting, most of the parties said future elections should be held using EVMs provided they are attached to paper trail machines. There were, however, some parties whose representatives said their faith in the machines has eroded and the EC should revert to the old ballot paper system. While BJP, CPI, CPI (M), AIADMK, DMK, NCP and JD(U) clearly supported use of EVMs, provided paper trail machines are attached to it, BSP, AAP, Trinamool Congress said the paper ballot system was better and more transparent. The Congress was of the view that if EVMs are used there should be transparency at every level so that political parties and voters are separately convinced about the reliability of the machine. It said the Supreme Court has been stressing on more transparency, which necessarily does not mean use of EVMs. It said paper trail machines with all EVMs in future elections was fine. The BSP and AAP had alleged that the machines used in the recent assembly elections in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Manipur, Goa and Punjab were tampered with and favoured the BJP. Later, several other parties had joined the chorus and waned the EC to revert to paper ballots. Zaidi told parties that their "concerns and apprehensions" regarding EVMs have been taken note of and will be addressed through the "forthcoming challenge" and other measures which the EC will take. Other electoral reforms such as corporate funding, making bribing of voters a non-bailable offence and disqualifying candidates charge-sheeted by courts for offering bribe to electors also came up for discussion. Political representatives who attended the meeting said most parties were opposed to the decision that corporate entities would no longer have to name the parties to which they have made a donation. They said it would reduce transparency in funding. Most of the parties were opposed to the idea of disqualifying candidates charge-sheeted by courts for offering bribe to voters. They felt disqualifying a candidate at charge sheet level was unfair. They also opposed a proposal to allow EC countermand an election if large-scale use of money power to influence voters comes to light. They said proving use of money power was difficult. The CEC said the Commission will ensure 100 per cent paper trail coverage in all future elections to the Lok Sabha and state legislative assemblies. A particular percentage of VVPATs slips to be determined by the EC will be counted. The poll panel will soon evolve a framework in this regard. VVPAT is a machine which dispenses a slip with the symbol of the party for which a person has voted for. The slip drops in a box which the voter can see but cannot take home. Zaidi also said the Commission has "no favourites" and it was equidistant from all parties. "You should be convinced that EC has no favourites...we maintain equidistance from all parties and groups. It is our constitutional and moral duty to stand dead centre of the circle drawn around us by 56 political parties (seven national and 49 state recognised parties)," he said. His remarks come against the backdrop of Delhi Chief Minister and AAP convener Arvind Kejriwal reportedly questioning the independence of two Election Commissioners A K Joti and O P Rawat. Following the allegations, Rawat had recused himself from the cases related to disqualification of AAP MLAs the Commission is hearing.

Playing with words, Kejriwal says EC has backed out of 'hackathon'

Suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Kapil Mishra began his hunger strike Wednesday, and asserted that he would not end his agitation until the party leaders disclose details of the funding for their foreign tours.

&quot;I am sitting on a &#39;Satyagraha&#39; till I get a clarification on details of international travel expenses of some senior AAP leaders. It is not a dharna but a satyagraha. I would like to send out a message to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to put out the details of the foreign tours of his five AAP leaders-Satyendra Jain, Ashish Khetan, Raghav Chaddha, Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak in public domain,&quot; Mishra told the media here.

Dramatically stating that his &#39;death&#39; won&#39;t affect Kejriwal in any matter, he nevertheless pressed on his demand for a clarification and detailed explanation from the AAP supremo.

&quot;I know if I will die, it won&#39;t affect you (Kejriwal). This matter is concerned with the entire nation. You have always said that you don&#39;t have money to even contest election, then from where did they get the money for foreign tours. It will hardly take five minutes to disclose these details. I am waiting for you response,&quot; he added.

He further alleged that he has been getting life threats from an international number.&nbsp;

The AAP MLA yesterday lodged three FIRs against Kejriwal and other party leaders with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with various corruption charges against them.

&quot;I have filed three FIRs with the CBI. The first FIR is in connection with the cash deal between Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Kejriwal, while the second one is on how Jain has benefitted close relatives of Arvind Kejriwal in illegal land deals,&quot; Mishra told ANI here after leaving the CBI office.

He had also filed FIR against AAP leaders Satyendar Jain, Ashish Khetan, Raghav Chaddha, Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak for using illegal money for foreign tours.

Mishra also submitted the documents in connection with the corruption charges he levelled against Kejriwal and other party leaders to the CBI.

(ANI)

The minister, sacked from Kejriwal's cabinet, said he wants details of the international travel expenses of certain senior AAP leaders

Suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) MLA Kapil Mishra began his hunger strike Wednesday, and asserted that he would not end his agitation until the party leaders disclose details of the funding for their foreign tours. "I am sitting on a 'Satyagraha' till I get a clarification on details of international travel expenses of some senior AAP leaders. It is not a dharna but a satyagraha. I would like to send out a message to Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to put out the details of the foreign tours of his five AAP leaders-Satyendra Jain, Ashish Khetan, Raghav Chaddha, Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak in public domain," Mishra told the media here. Dramatically stating that his 'death' won't affect Kejriwal in any matter, he nevertheless pressed on his demand for a clarification and detailed explanation from the AAP supremo. "I know if I will die, it won't affect you (Kejriwal). This matter is concerned with the entire nation. You have always said that you don't have money to even contest election, then from where did they get the money for foreign tours. It will hardly take five minutes to disclose these details. I am waiting for you response," he added. He further alleged that he has been getting life threats from an international number. The AAP MLA yesterday lodged three FIRs against Kejriwal and other party leaders with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) in connection with various corruption charges against them. "I have filed three FIRs with the CBI. The first FIR is in connection with the cash deal between Delhi Health Minister Satyendar Jain and Kejriwal, while the second one is on how Jain has benefitted close relatives of Arvind Kejriwal in illegal land deals," Mishra told ANI here after leaving the CBI office. He had also filed FIR against AAP leaders Satyendar Jain, Ashish Khetan, Raghav Chaddha, Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak for using illegal money for foreign tours. Mishra also submitted the documents in connection with the corruption charges he levelled against Kejriwal and other party leaders to the CBI. (ANI)

Kejriwal vs Kapil: Mishra begins 'satyagraha', says he's getting death threats

Social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday suggested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal come forward and say he is ready for investigation, if he hasn&#39;t done anything wrong.

&quot;Arvind Kejriwal must come forward and say that he is ready for investigation. If Kejriwal is not found guilty, then he must file a defamation case against the concerned person and if found guilty then must resign within a second,&quot; Hazare told ANI.

Hazare also questioned suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra for staying silent when he saw Kejriwal allegedly accepting a Rs 2 crore bribe.

&quot;I am feeling very saddened about such allegations on Arvind Kejriwal. He was always with me when we fought against corruption. While fighting against the corruption, he became the Chief Minister. His own party`s minister has now put allegations on him for accepting Rs&nbsp;2 crore. Why had the concerned minister not revealed to the public earlier when Kejriwal accepted the money? Now, he is putting allegations after being ousted from the party. This is not right,&quot; he said.

Earlier on Tuesday, Mishra handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the documents in connection with the corruption charges he levelled against Kejriwal and other party leaders.

He further asked AAP leaders, Satyendra Jain, Ashish Khetan, Raghav Chaddha, Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak to put out the details of their foreign tours in the public domain, saying that he would go on a hunger strike if they refused to do so.&nbsp;

(ANI)&nbsp; 
&nbsp;

Hazare also wondered why sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra had not spoken up when he had allegedly seen Kejriwal taking Rs 2 crore

Social activist Anna Hazare on Wednesday suggested Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal come forward and say he is ready for investigation, if he hasn't done anything wrong. "Arvind Kejriwal must come forward and say that he is ready for investigation. If Kejriwal is not found guilty, then he must file a defamation case against the concerned person and if found guilty then must resign within a second," Hazare told ANI. Hazare also questioned suspended Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) leader Kapil Mishra for staying silent when he saw Kejriwal allegedly accepting a Rs 2 crore bribe. "I am feeling very saddened about such allegations on Arvind Kejriwal. He was always with me when we fought against corruption. While fighting against the corruption, he became the Chief Minister. His own party`s minister has now put allegations on him for accepting Rs 2 crore. Why had the concerned minister not revealed to the public earlier when Kejriwal accepted the money? Now, he is putting allegations after being ousted from the party. This is not right," he said. Earlier on Tuesday, Mishra handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) the documents in connection with the corruption charges he levelled against Kejriwal and other party leaders. He further asked AAP leaders, Satyendra Jain, Ashish Khetan, Raghav Chaddha, Sanjay Singh and Durgesh Pathak to put out the details of their foreign tours in the public domain, saying that he would go on a hunger strike if they refused to do so. (ANI)

Kejriwal must come forward, be investigated: Anna Hazare

The Election Commission Tuesday rejected the claim of the Aam Aadmi Party -- that its EVMs can be hacked, saying the machine hacked in the Delhi assembly was a &quot;lookalike&quot; gadget and not actual equipment used by it.

&quot;It is common sense that gadgets other than ECI-EVMs can be programmed to perform in a pre-determined way, but it simply cannot be implied that ECI-EVMs will behave in the same manner because they are technically secured and function under an elaborate administrative and security protocol,&quot; the Commission said in a statement. The &quot;so-called&quot; demonstration on &quot;extraneous and duplicate gadgets&quot; which are not owned by the EC &quot;cannot be exploited to influence our intelligent citizens and electorate to assail or vilify the EVMs used by the Commission in its electoral process, it added.

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today dared the Election Commission to provide an EVM (used by the Election Commission) to the AAP, claiming it can be tampered with in 90 seconds flat. During a day-long special sitting of the Delhi Assembly today, AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj put on a &quot;live demonstration&quot; on how electronic voting machines can be programmed to favour a particular political party.

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<h5>The election commission can give us its machines, we will show how to hack it in 90 seconds by merely changing its motherboard,&#39; Kejriwal told reporters</h5>
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&quot;He (Bhardwaj) showed how easy it is to hack EVMs and it is being done on a massive scale. It is dangerous for the democracy and the country, and people should raise their voice against it. &quot;The ECI can give us its machines, we will show how to hack it in 90 seconds by merely changing its motherboard,&quot; Kejriwal told reporters outside the assembly. Bhardwaj claimed that a voting machine can be manipulated by simply feeding it with a &quot;secret code&quot;.

The AAP today &quot;demonstrated&quot; ways to &quot;rig EVMs&quot; in the Delhi Assembly, which the BJP said was an attempt to divert attention from charges of &quot;bribery&quot; against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal.

The AAP&#39;s attempt to whip up the issue comes at a time the party is in the eye of a political firestorm over its sacked minister Kapil Mishra&#39;s allegations of corruption against Kejriwal and minister Satyendar Jain. On his part, Mishra, who was suspended from AAP&#39;s primary membership yesterday, mocked it saying the party should stop living in &quot;denial&quot; and accept the fact that people do not vote for Kejriwal anymore.

Participating in a discussion on the issue during the day-long special session of the Delhi Assembly, AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed that a voting machine can be manipulated by simply feeding it with a &quot;secret code&quot;. He demonstrated how it can be done using, what party sources said was, a &quot;prototype EVM&quot; developed by a &quot;a group of IITians&quot;.

Interestingly, leaders of the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Janata Dal (United) and the Rastriya Janata Dal were present on the gallery of the House when Bhardwaj staged the demonstration. Before Bhardwaj&#39;s demonstration, Kejriwal tweeted, &quot;Saurabh Bhardwaj will reveal the truth behind a big conspiracy in the country. Satyameva Jayate&quot;. Bhardwaj, who represents the Greater Kailash constituency, claimed that in his capacity as an engineer, he had extensively worked in this area and was aware of how the machines can be fiddled with.

After entering a &quot;secret code&quot;, Bhardwaj pressed 10 votes for the AAP in the machine used for the purpose of demonstration. Later, in the display panel, it turned out that the votes went to the BJP. &quot;We are not making baseless allegations on EVM manipulation. With this demonstration, it has been proved that EVMs can actually be hacked,&quot; Bhardwaj said.

&quot;EVM manipulation is a very serious issue. It is a danger to the democracy of the country. There is no machine in the world which cannot be hacked,&quot; the AAP MLA claimed. Kejriwal has repeatedly claimed that the AAP&#39;s poll debacles have something to do with tampering of EVMs. The issue threatened to split the party with a section refusing to toe the line taken by him.

(PTI)

AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj had 'demonstrated' on Tuesday that an EVM can be hacked in 90 seconds

The Election Commission Tuesday rejected the claim of the Aam Aadmi Party -- that its EVMs can be hacked, saying the machine hacked in the Delhi assembly was a "lookalike" gadget and not actual equipment used by it. "It is common sense that gadgets other than ECI-EVMs can be programmed to perform in a pre-determined way, but it simply cannot be implied that ECI-EVMs will behave in the same manner because they are technically secured and function under an elaborate administrative and security protocol," the Commission said in a statement. The "so-called" demonstration on "extraneous and duplicate gadgets" which are not owned by the EC "cannot be exploited to influence our intelligent citizens and electorate to assail or vilify the EVMs used by the Commission in its electoral process, it added. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal today dared the Election Commission to provide an EVM (used by the Election Commission) to the AAP, claiming it can be tampered with in 90 seconds flat. During a day-long special sitting of the Delhi Assembly today, AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj put on a "live demonstration" on how electronic voting machines can be programmed to favour a particular political party. The election commission can give us its machines, we will show how to hack it in 90 seconds by merely changing its motherboard,' Kejriwal told reporters × "He (Bhardwaj) showed how easy it is to hack EVMs and it is being done on a massive scale. It is dangerous for the democracy and the country, and people should raise their voice against it. "The ECI can give us its machines, we will show how to hack it in 90 seconds by merely changing its motherboard," Kejriwal told reporters outside the assembly. Bhardwaj claimed that a voting machine can be manipulated by simply feeding it with a "secret code". The AAP today "demonstrated" ways to "rig EVMs" in the Delhi Assembly, which the BJP said was an attempt to divert attention from charges of "bribery" against Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal. The AAP's attempt to whip up the issue comes at a time the party is in the eye of a political firestorm over its sacked minister Kapil Mishra's allegations of corruption against Kejriwal and minister Satyendar Jain. On his part, Mishra, who was suspended from AAP's primary membership yesterday, mocked it saying the party should stop living in "denial" and accept the fact that people do not vote for Kejriwal anymore. Participating in a discussion on the issue during the day-long special session of the Delhi Assembly, AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj claimed that a voting machine can be manipulated by simply feeding it with a "secret code". He demonstrated how it can be done using, what party sources said was, a "prototype EVM" developed by a "a group of IITians". Interestingly, leaders of the Congress, the Trinamool Congress, the Janata Dal (United) and the Rastriya Janata Dal were present on the gallery of the House when Bhardwaj staged the demonstration. Before Bhardwaj's demonstration, Kejriwal tweeted, "Saurabh Bhardwaj will reveal the truth behind a big conspiracy in the country. Satyameva Jayate". Bhardwaj, who represents the Greater Kailash constituency, claimed that in his capacity as an engineer, he had extensively worked in this area and was aware of how the machines can be fiddled with. After entering a "secret code", Bhardwaj pressed 10 votes for the AAP in the machine used for the purpose of demonstration. Later, in the display panel, it turned out that the votes went to the BJP. "We are not making baseless allegations on EVM manipulation. With this demonstration, it has been proved that EVMs can actually be hacked," Bhardwaj said. "EVM manipulation is a very serious issue. It is a danger to the democracy of the country. There is no machine in the world which cannot be hacked," the AAP MLA claimed. Kejriwal has repeatedly claimed that the AAP's poll debacles have something to do with tampering of EVMs. The issue threatened to split the party with a section refusing to toe the line taken by him. (PTI)

Give me one of yours, says Kejriwal, after EC says AAP hacked 'lookalike' EVM

The drama in the Aam Aadmi Party continued today with sacked minister Kapil Mishra saying he will file an FIR against the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal.

He also issued an open letter against the Delhi chief minister, whom he called his &#39;guru&#39;, challenging him for an open election.

&quot;I am releasing an open letter to Kejriwal. I am going to file FIRs against the person from whom I have learnt to fight against corruption and to take a stand for the truth. He used to be my &#39;guru&#39; and today I am fighting against him. This is very painful for me but I can&#39;t keep quiet. From whom I have learnt these things, today I want his blessings for the victory in this war against corruption. I will file an FIR against you and I am apologising for the same,&quot; Mishra said.

On Sunday, Mishra had alleged that Kejriwal took two crore rupees from health minister Satyendra Jain against whom the CBI is probing a case of money laundering.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh held a press conference on Monday refuting those allegations against Kejriwal.

The Delhi Assembly will hold a one-day special session today where the BJP and the AAP will try to corner each other on a range of issues including the latest allegations against the chief minister levelled by one of his former cabinet ministers, ANI said.

Kejriwal&#39;s aides are expected to come up with some revelations at 2 pm today.&nbsp;

Kejriwal-led AAP has termed the recently conducted CBI raid on Delhi secretariat and the issuance of notice against the party for its overseas funding by the home ministry a case of political vendetta.

(WION with inputs from agencies) &nbsp;

On Sunday, Mishra had alleged that Kejriwal took two crore rupees from health minister Satyendra Jain against whom the CBI is probing a case of money laundering

The drama in the Aam Aadmi Party continued today with sacked minister Kapil Mishra saying he will file an FIR against the Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal. He also issued an open letter against the Delhi chief minister, whom he called his 'guru', challenging him for an open election. "I am releasing an open letter to Kejriwal. I am going to file FIRs against the person from whom I have learnt to fight against corruption and to take a stand for the truth. He used to be my 'guru' and today I am fighting against him. This is very painful for me but I can't keep quiet. From whom I have learnt these things, today I want his blessings for the victory in this war against corruption. I will file an FIR against you and I am apologising for the same," Mishra said. On Sunday, Mishra had alleged that Kejriwal took two crore rupees from health minister Satyendra Jain against whom the CBI is probing a case of money laundering. AAP leader Sanjay Singh held a press conference on Monday refuting those allegations against Kejriwal. The Delhi Assembly will hold a one-day special session today where the BJP and the AAP will try to corner each other on a range of issues including the latest allegations against the chief minister levelled by one of his former cabinet ministers, ANI said. Kejriwal's aides are expected to come up with some revelations at 2 pm today. Kejriwal-led AAP has termed the recently conducted CBI raid on Delhi secretariat and the issuance of notice against the party for its overseas funding by the home ministry a case of political vendetta. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra takes on 'guru' Kejriwal, says will file FIR against him

Even as India&#39;s Election Commission Tuesday dismissed the claims made by the&nbsp;Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) about the rigging of Electronic Voting Machines in elections,&nbsp;Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal dared the poll body to provide EVM machines to the AAP.

The AAP chief claimed an EVM could be &quot;tampered with&quot; in &quot;90 seconds&quot;.

&quot;The ECI can give us its machines, we will show how to hack it in 90 seconds by merely changing its motherboard,&quot; Kejriwal told reporters outside the Assembly.

Sources in the Election Commission said the machine used by the AAP in the Delhi Assembly today to demonstrate rigging was the prototype Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and not on Election Commission of India Electronic Voting Machine (EVM).&nbsp;

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the AAP will participate in the &#39;EVM Hackathon&#39; to be oraganised by the poll panel later this month and will prove how an EVM can be tampered with.

Sisodia also challenged the Election Commission to allow at least three AAP workers in place of those who service EVMs at store rooms and said they will &quot;completely hack&quot; all machines.

At the special Delhi Assembly session convened by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal,&nbsp;AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj&nbsp;gave a live demo on how EVMs can be rigged.

Ahead of the special day-long session, Kejriwal had said he will disclose the truth about a big conspiracy going on in the country.

Saurabh Bhardwaj&nbsp;started by explaining how different parts of an EVM work and then conducted a mock poll on a voting machine he had carried to the assembly.&nbsp;

He also clarified that the test is being conducted on a machine &quot;similar&quot; to an EVM and not an original EVM.

He said parties use a secret code to sway votes.&nbsp;

Bhardwaj said every constituency has a different secret code which is entered into the EVM around 10 am. All the votes cast after this will go to the selected candidate.

He demonstrated how, despite giving two votes each to various parties, the final count showed that the votes of some parties had been transferred to one party. 
 
&quot;All it takes to rig an EVM is to change the motherboard. All it takes is 90 seconds. It&#39;s outrageous,&quot; Bhardwaj said.

&quot;I read the Election Commission&#39;s site. I read many answers given by them. And we all saw on TV that how in Bhind, in front of journalists, DM, and candidates, any button which was pressed was showing only BJP&#39;s ticket. Thankfully the VVPAT was connected with it.&quot;

Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati had also claimed EVM tampering was the reason for the BJP&#39;s resounding victory in the recently held Uttar Pradesh assembly elections.&nbsp;

The Election Commission has said that EVMs are tamper-proof. The poll body has called a meeting of all parties on Friday at its Delhi headquarters to address various parties&#39; complaints about voting machines.

Sacked Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra spoke against his party on the EVM tampering issue, accusing Kejriwal of adopting this tactic to shift the people&#39;s attention from the corruption charges levelled against him. (<a href="http://http://www.wionews.com/south-asia/sacked-aap-minister-kapil-mishra-takes-on-guru-kejriwal-says-will-file-fir-against-him-15375">Also Read:&nbsp;Sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra takes on &#39;guru&#39; Kejriwal, says will file FIR against him</a>)

&quot;When MCD poll results were announced I had said that we did not lose because of EVM machines. This is just a tactic to shift people&#39;s focus,&quot; Mishra said.

&quot;First, tell me the reason we lost? Is it because of the EVMs or the water. Till now he doesn&#39;t know the reason. Just because he is unable to win elections, he is going against democracy and the whole electoral process,&quot; he added.&nbsp;

Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, who was marshalled out of the Delhi Assembly today, said, &quot;Why is he demonstrating inside the building. He should have done in the public domain. He is just finding excuses to shift focus away from corruption charges. He should have demonstrated this in front of the election commission.&quot;

Vijender Gupta was expelled from the Assembly after he moved an adjournment motion on the AAP corruption issue which was disallowed by the Speaker.

On Sunday, Kapil Mishra had alleged that Kejriwal took two crore rupees from health minister Satyendra Jain against whom the CBI is probing a case of money laundering.&nbsp; 
 
The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said today that Mishra has given three complaints relating to bribery and irregularities against functionaries of the Delhi government.

AAP leader Sanjay Singh held a press conference on Monday refuting those allegations against Kejriwal.

(WION with inputs from agencies)

At a session in the Delhi Assembly, the AAP demonstrated how EVMs can be manipulated

Even as India's Election Commission Tuesday dismissed the claims made by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) about the rigging of Electronic Voting Machines in elections, Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal dared the poll body to provide EVM machines to the AAP. The AAP chief claimed an EVM could be "tampered with" in "90 seconds". "The ECI can give us its machines, we will show how to hack it in 90 seconds by merely changing its motherboard," Kejriwal told reporters outside the Assembly. Sources in the Election Commission said the machine used by the AAP in the Delhi Assembly today to demonstrate rigging was the prototype Electronic Voting Machine (EVM) and not on Election Commission of India Electronic Voting Machine (EVM). Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia said the AAP will participate in the 'EVM Hackathon' to be oraganised by the poll panel later this month and will prove how an EVM can be tampered with. Sisodia also challenged the Election Commission to allow at least three AAP workers in place of those who service EVMs at store rooms and said they will "completely hack" all machines. At the special Delhi Assembly session convened by chief minister Arvind Kejriwal, AAP MLA Saurabh Bhardwaj gave a live demo on how EVMs can be rigged. Ahead of the special day-long session, Kejriwal had said he will disclose the truth about a big conspiracy going on in the country. Saurabh Bhardwaj started by explaining how different parts of an EVM work and then conducted a mock poll on a voting machine he had carried to the assembly. He also clarified that the test is being conducted on a machine "similar" to an EVM and not an original EVM. He said parties use a secret code to sway votes. Bhardwaj said every constituency has a different secret code which is entered into the EVM around 10 am. All the votes cast after this will go to the selected candidate. He demonstrated how, despite giving two votes each to various parties, the final count showed that the votes of some parties had been transferred to one party. "All it takes to rig an EVM is to change the motherboard. All it takes is 90 seconds. It's outrageous," Bhardwaj said. "I read the Election Commission's site. I read many answers given by them. And we all saw on TV that how in Bhind, in front of journalists, DM, and candidates, any button which was pressed was showing only BJP's ticket. Thankfully the VVPAT was connected with it." Bahujan Samaj Party chief Mayawati had also claimed EVM tampering was the reason for the BJP's resounding victory in the recently held Uttar Pradesh assembly elections. The Election Commission has said that EVMs are tamper-proof. The poll body has called a meeting of all parties on Friday at its Delhi headquarters to address various parties' complaints about voting machines. Sacked Delhi water minister Kapil Mishra spoke against his party on the EVM tampering issue, accusing Kejriwal of adopting this tactic to shift the people's attention from the corruption charges levelled against him. (Also Read: Sacked AAP minister Kapil Mishra takes on 'guru' Kejriwal, says will file FIR against him) "When MCD poll results were announced I had said that we did not lose because of EVM machines. This is just a tactic to shift people's focus," Mishra said. "First, tell me the reason we lost? Is it because of the EVMs or the water. Till now he doesn't know the reason. Just because he is unable to win elections, he is going against democracy and the whole electoral process," he added. Leader of Opposition Vijender Gupta, who was marshalled out of the Delhi Assembly today, said, "Why is he demonstrating inside the building. He should have done in the public domain. He is just finding excuses to shift focus away from corruption charges. He should have demonstrated this in front of the election commission." Vijender Gupta was expelled from the Assembly after he moved an adjournment motion on the AAP corruption issue which was disallowed by the Speaker. On Sunday, Kapil Mishra had alleged that Kejriwal took two crore rupees from health minister Satyendra Jain against whom the CBI is probing a case of money laundering. The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) said today that Mishra has given three complaints relating to bribery and irregularities against functionaries of the Delhi government. AAP leader Sanjay Singh held a press conference on Monday refuting those allegations against Kejriwal. (WION with inputs from agencies)

EVM can be tampered within 90 seconds: Kejriwal's challenge to Election Commission

Senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas Sunday came out in support of Arvind Kejriwal, saying he has known him for 12 years and even his enemies cannot imagine him taking a bribe.

His remarks came hours after Kapil Mishra, who was yesterday sacked as Delhi water minister, alleged that he saw Delhi Health Minister Satyendra&nbsp;Jain giving Kejriwal Rs 2 crore.

&quot;We can disagree, fight or be disappointed with each other ... I know Arvind for 12 years and I can say that I cannot imagine him taking a bribe or being corrupt ... Even his enemies cannot imagine this,&quot; he told reporters.

&quot;Kejriwal has said this 100 times that he should be removed if he is corrupt. I have called Satyendra Jain and asked him to explain his position in the PAC (Political Affairs Committee) ... Whether he is being framed or has there been a mistake, we are ready for an investigation ... Be it an ED&nbsp;(Enforcement Directorate) or a CBI probe,&quot; Vishwas said.

He told reporters that the AAP&#39;s Political Affairs Committee will meet either in the evening or tomorrow.

&quot;I feel sad about the allegations. Be it about the party&#39;s internal talk, discrepancies in ticket distribution, loopholes in political agenda but it is wrong to level such allegations publicly,&quot; he said.

Mishra is considered close to Vishwas, who had recently threatened to quit the party. The former Delhi water minister had extended support to Vishwas when he had clashed with the party leadership.

Earlier in the day, Mishra said he gave a statement to Lt Governor Anil Baijal on &quot;various irregularities he witnessed during his two-year stint as a minister in the Kejriwal government&quot;.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

 
&nbsp;

AAP leader Kumar Vishwas said even Arvind Kejriwal's enemies could not imagine him taking a bribe

Senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas Sunday came out in support of Arvind Kejriwal, saying he has known him for 12 years and even his enemies cannot imagine him taking a bribe. His remarks came hours after Kapil Mishra, who was yesterday sacked as Delhi water minister, alleged that he saw Delhi Health Minister Satyendra Jain giving Kejriwal Rs 2 crore. "We can disagree, fight or be disappointed with each other ... I know Arvind for 12 years and I can say that I cannot imagine him taking a bribe or being corrupt ... Even his enemies cannot imagine this," he told reporters. "Kejriwal has said this 100 times that he should be removed if he is corrupt. I have called Satyendra Jain and asked him to explain his position in the PAC (Political Affairs Committee) ... Whether he is being framed or has there been a mistake, we are ready for an investigation ... Be it an ED (Enforcement Directorate) or a CBI probe," Vishwas said. He told reporters that the AAP's Political Affairs Committee will meet either in the evening or tomorrow. "I feel sad about the allegations. Be it about the party's internal talk, discrepancies in ticket distribution, loopholes in political agenda but it is wrong to level such allegations publicly," he said. Mishra is considered close to Vishwas, who had recently threatened to quit the party. The former Delhi water minister had extended support to Vishwas when he had clashed with the party leadership. Earlier in the day, Mishra said he gave a statement to Lt Governor Anil Baijal on "various irregularities he witnessed during his two-year stint as a minister in the Kejriwal government". (PTI)

Known Kejriwal for 12 years, cannot imagine him taking bribe: Kumar Vishwas

With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) facing a rift, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are making efforts to convince co-founder member Kumar Vishwas, who had hinted at breaking up from the party here.

&quot;Kumar Vishwas is an integral part of our movement. He has some grudges and I am sure we will convince him,&quot; Kejriwal said after a late night meeting on Tuesday.

The Delhi Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister went to Vishwas&#39; residence in Ghaziabad to hold talks with him.

Earlier on Tuesday,&nbsp;Vishwas accused the AAP leaders of conspiring against him.

&quot;The things Amanatullah has said about me, if he had said the same for Arvind Kejriwal or Manish Sisodia, he would have been thrown out of the party in 10 minutes. But he had said such thing so many times, yet he wasn&#39;t ousted,&quot; Vishwas told the media here.

&quot;Amanatullah is just a mask; someone else is speaking behind his mask. I would appeal to them to not go against me as I had once put up posters for AAP and defended them,&quot; he added.

He said that he will not compromise with his principles and soon take a call on his future action.

&quot;Will not keep silent on the mistakes of the AAP party,&quot; said Vishwas, adding, &quot;I&#39;m not interested in becoming the Chief Minister ever&quot;.

He clarified that he will not join any political party.

Earlier, AAP leader Amanatullah Khan had asserted that Vishwas was &#39;planted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)&#39;.

Amanatullah yesterday resigned from the party&#39;s Political Affairs Committee (PAC) following a high-end meeting of the party members with Kumar Vishwas conspicuously absent. 
 
(ANI)

After a late night meeting with Kumar Vishwas, Kejriwal said he was sure the party would be able to convince the disgruntled leader

With the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) facing a rift, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia are making efforts to convince co-founder member Kumar Vishwas, who had hinted at breaking up from the party here. "Kumar Vishwas is an integral part of our movement. He has some grudges and I am sure we will convince him," Kejriwal said after a late night meeting on Tuesday. The Delhi Chief Minister and Deputy Chief Minister went to Vishwas' residence in Ghaziabad to hold talks with him. Earlier on Tuesday, Vishwas accused the AAP leaders of conspiring against him. "The things Amanatullah has said about me, if he had said the same for Arvind Kejriwal or Manish Sisodia, he would have been thrown out of the party in 10 minutes. But he had said such thing so many times, yet he wasn't ousted," Vishwas told the media here. "Amanatullah is just a mask; someone else is speaking behind his mask. I would appeal to them to not go against me as I had once put up posters for AAP and defended them," he added. He said that he will not compromise with his principles and soon take a call on his future action. "Will not keep silent on the mistakes of the AAP party," said Vishwas, adding, "I'm not interested in becoming the Chief Minister ever". He clarified that he will not join any political party. Earlier, AAP leader Amanatullah Khan had asserted that Vishwas was 'planted by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS)'. Amanatullah yesterday resigned from the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC) following a high-end meeting of the party members with Kumar Vishwas conspicuously absent. (ANI)

Arvind Kejriwal plays peacemaker as Kumar Vishwas threatens to quit over 'coterie' against him

The crisis in the political party that governs India&#39;s Delhi NCT may have been averted after one of their aggrieved senior party members was made in-charge of northern Rajasthan state on Wednesday.

The mutiny within the party has also been put to rest after one of their local lawmakers who allegedly tried to spread canards has been suspended.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also set up a disciplinary committee to probe comments made by the suspended lawmaker.

AAP shows confidence in Kumar Vishwas

Earlier in the day, senior party member Kumar Vishwas had threatened to quit the party after Okhla lawmaker&nbsp;Amanatullah Khan had accused him of being an agent of Narendra Modi&#39;s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Stung by the allegations and the recent poll drubbings the party received in Punjab and Delhi, Vishwas felt that the party needed to introspect instead of complaining of voting irregularities.

AAP&#39;s national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders have primarily blamed faulty voting machines for their recent reverses. They claim that the voting machines were rigged by Modi&#39;s BJP to their advantage in the recent elections.

But Vishwas&#39; comment about the need to introspect prompted the Okhla lawmaker &nbsp;to say he was a &quot;BJP agent&quot;.

But a three-hour emergency meeting with party head Kejriwal and other senior leaders has subdued the gremlins in Vishwas&#39; head. The party leader had met Vishwas last night to dispel any grudges the latter had.

The Aam Aadmi Party&nbsp;announced that Vishwas would be given more responsibilities.

Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told reporters: &quot;He (Vishwas) will be Rajasthan&rsquo;s party in-charge as the state goes to polls next year.&quot;

The announcement is also likely to boost Vishwas&#39;political career, especially after he was relatively marginalised in the recently-concluded regional elections in India.

Indian television channel News18 reported that Vishwas urged the party to fight corruption, erase all differences within the party and galvanise the footsoldiers across the country.

Okhla MP rapped

Khan, the Okhla lawmaker, was suspended on Wednesday, and his seemingly inflammatory statement will be probed by the party committee.

Incidentally, Khan had resigned from the party&#39;s Political Affairs Committee (PAC).

Vishwas had also decried that people close to Kejriwal were deliberately trying to undermine his influence in the party.

The Okhla lawmaker had also accused Vishwas of plotting a coup to upstage Kejriwal as the party chief.

But Vishwas categorically denied harbouring any such intentions.&nbsp;He accused Khan of being a &quot;mask&quot; and acting at the behest of a &quot;coterie&quot; surrounding Kejriwal.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

&nbsp;

The Aam Aadmi Party also suspended a lawmaker for allegedly spreading canards in the party

The crisis in the political party that governs India's Delhi NCT may have been averted after one of their aggrieved senior party members was made in-charge of northern Rajasthan state on Wednesday. The mutiny within the party has also been put to rest after one of their local lawmakers who allegedly tried to spread canards has been suspended. Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) has also set up a disciplinary committee to probe comments made by the suspended lawmaker. AAP shows confidence in Kumar Vishwas Earlier in the day, senior party member Kumar Vishwas had threatened to quit the party after Okhla lawmaker Amanatullah Khan had accused him of being an agent of Narendra Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Stung by the allegations and the recent poll drubbings the party received in Punjab and Delhi, Vishwas felt that the party needed to introspect instead of complaining of voting irregularities. AAP's national convenor Arvind Kejriwal and other leaders have primarily blamed faulty voting machines for their recent reverses. They claim that the voting machines were rigged by Modi's BJP to their advantage in the recent elections. But Vishwas' comment about the need to introspect prompted the Okhla lawmaker to say he was a "BJP agent". But a three-hour emergency meeting with party head Kejriwal and other senior leaders has subdued the gremlins in Vishwas' head. The party leader had met Vishwas last night to dispel any grudges the latter had. The Aam Aadmi Party announced that Vishwas would be given more responsibilities. Delhi deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia told reporters: "He (Vishwas) will be Rajasthan’s party in-charge as the state goes to polls next year." The announcement is also likely to boost Vishwas'political career, especially after he was relatively marginalised in the recently-concluded regional elections in India. Indian television channel News18 reported that Vishwas urged the party to fight corruption, erase all differences within the party and galvanise the footsoldiers across the country. Okhla MP rapped Khan, the Okhla lawmaker, was suspended on Wednesday, and his seemingly inflammatory statement will be probed by the party committee. Incidentally, Khan had resigned from the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC). Vishwas had also decried that people close to Kejriwal were deliberately trying to undermine his influence in the party. The Okhla lawmaker had also accused Vishwas of plotting a coup to upstage Kejriwal as the party chief. But Vishwas categorically denied harbouring any such intentions. He accused Khan of being a "mask" and acting at the behest of a "coterie" surrounding Kejriwal. (WION with inputs from PTI)

AAP slays party gremlins: Kumar Vishwas made in-charge of Rajasthan

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday&nbsp;sought to send a stern message to partymen after some of them criticised senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas as he had pointed to reasons other than the leadership&#39;s claim of tampering of EVMs for the party&#39;s recent poll defeats. 
 
Party chief Kejriwal warned them against trying to create a rift between him and his &quot;younger brother&quot; Vishwas, after AAP&#39;s Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan alleged earlier today that Vishwas was trying to &quot;usurp&quot; the Aam Aadmi Party and that he harbours ambitions of leading the party. 
 
On Friday, contrary to the party line that EVM rigging was behind AAP&#39;s loss in the Punjab Assembly and MCD polls, Vishwas had pointed to reasons other than alleged tampering of electronic voting machines and said there is a communication gap between the top brass and volunteers. 
 
He said AAP was getting &quot;Congressised&quot; to an extent. 
 
Amanatullah Khan, a member of the party&#39;s Political Affairs Committee (PAC), its apex decision-making body, also claimed that poet-turned-politician Vishwas has been calling MLAs to his residence and coaxing them to rebel against Kejriwal or to join the BJP. 
 
&quot;Kumar Vishwas is trying to usurp the AAP and break the AAP. He is calling MLAs to his residence and saying that he should be made the party convener. Or else, they (MLAs) can join the BJP, which is ready to pay Rs 30 crore to each MLA. This is what (Swaraj India President and expelled AAP leader) Yogendra Yadav also wants. 
 
&quot;I think this is happening at the behest of the BJP. It has deployed four MLAs to take AAP legislators to Kumar Vishwas&#39; house. This has been confirmed by at least 10 party MLAs,&quot; Khan said in a message circulated to the media. 
&quot;Yesterday, a minister also convened a meeting of four MLAs,&quot; he added. 
 
When contacted Khan did not elaborate on the message and said he will &quot;spill the beans&quot; at an appropriate time. 
The message, however, did not go down well with Kejriwal who wrote on Twitter that&nbsp;some people were trying to create a rift between him and Vishwas. 
 
&quot;Kumar is my younger brother. Some people are trying to create a rift between us. Such people are enemies of the party. They should mend their ways. Nobody&nbsp;can separate us,&quot; the AAP chief wrote on Twitter.

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????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???,??? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? !?? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?? ????
&mdash; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/858655214517141504">April 30, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Arvind Kejriwal warned partymen of trying to create a rift between him and 'younger brother' Kumar Vishwas

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Sunday sought to send a stern message to partymen after some of them criticised senior AAP leader Kumar Vishwas as he had pointed to reasons other than the leadership's claim of tampering of EVMs for the party's recent poll defeats. Party chief Kejriwal warned them against trying to create a rift between him and his "younger brother" Vishwas, after AAP's Okhla MLA Amanatullah Khan alleged earlier today that Vishwas was trying to "usurp" the Aam Aadmi Party and that he harbours ambitions of leading the party. On Friday, contrary to the party line that EVM rigging was behind AAP's loss in the Punjab Assembly and MCD polls, Vishwas had pointed to reasons other than alleged tampering of electronic voting machines and said there is a communication gap between the top brass and volunteers. He said AAP was getting "Congressised" to an extent. Amanatullah Khan, a member of the party's Political Affairs Committee (PAC), its apex decision-making body, also claimed that poet-turned-politician Vishwas has been calling MLAs to his residence and coaxing them to rebel against Kejriwal or to join the BJP. "Kumar Vishwas is trying to usurp the AAP and break the AAP. He is calling MLAs to his residence and saying that he should be made the party convener. Or else, they (MLAs) can join the BJP, which is ready to pay Rs 30 crore to each MLA. This is what (Swaraj India President and expelled AAP leader) Yogendra Yadav also wants. "I think this is happening at the behest of the BJP. It has deployed four MLAs to take AAP legislators to Kumar Vishwas' house. This has been confirmed by at least 10 party MLAs," Khan said in a message circulated to the media. "Yesterday, a minister also convened a meeting of four MLAs," he added. When contacted Khan did not elaborate on the message and said he will "spill the beans" at an appropriate time. The message, however, did not go down well with Kejriwal who wrote on Twitter that some people were trying to create a rift between him and Vishwas. "Kumar is my younger brother. Some people are trying to create a rift between us. Such people are enemies of the party. They should mend their ways. Nobody can separate us," the AAP chief wrote on Twitter. ????? ???? ???? ??? ??? ??? ??? ????? ??? ???? ???? ??? ???,??? ??? ?????? ?? ?????? ??? !?? ???? ????? ???? ??? ??? ???? ?? ???? — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 30, 2017 ×

Arvind Kejriwal refutes allegations of Kumar Vishwas instigating rebellion within AAP

The Congress, which finished a distant third in the MCD polls, has got around 11 per cent more votes than the 2015 Assembly election, while the AAP&#39;s vote share came down to half of its previous tally. 
 
The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which bagged 181 of 270 wards in all three civic bodies today, has managed to increase its vote share by around 5 per cent. The party&#39;s vote share was 32.2 per cent in the 2015 Assembly election. 
 
In the Assembly polls, the vote share of the Congress was 9.7 per cent. It went up to 21.28 per cent in the MCD polls. 
 
The Aam Aadmi Party&#39;s vote share came down to around 26 per cent from 54.3 per cent in Assembly polls. 
 
The MCD poll results show that people have voted against the AAP government even as they have given their votes in favour of the BJP which has been ruling the civic bodies for the last 10 years. 
 
In the 2012 MCD polls, Delhiites had voted for the BJP at a time when the Congress was in power in the national capital. 
 
When the Delhi Assembly polls were held in 2013, people had voted against the Sheila Dikshit government with the BJP emerging as the largest party while the AAP was runner-up. 
 
In 2013 Assembly polls, the BJP had won 32 seats while the AAP had got 28 seats even as the latter had formed its government with the help of the Congress. 
 
In the 2015 Assembly election, the AAP had emerged victorious with 67 seats out of 70, decimating both the BJP and the Congress.

AAP cries foul

Meanwhile, AAP again cried foul over EVM tampering and rejected the idea of a Modi wave. Asserting that the BJP is winning because of the &quot;rigged EVMs&quot;, Delhi transport minister Gopal Rai said that the saffron sweep&nbsp;in the civic polls is nothing less than a miracle which took place because the tampering of electoral machines.

AAP&#39;s Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal conceded defeat in the municipal elections but refrained from raising the EVM issue in his tweet.

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I congratulate BJP on their victory in all 3 MCDs. My govt looks forward to working wid MCDs for the betterment of Delhi
&mdash; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/857189693418389504">April 26, 2017</a></blockquote>
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BJP chief Amit Shah thanked voters and said Modi&#39;s leadership has been accepted largely. &quot;Voters rejected politics of excuse,&quot; he said. 
 
The BJP president thanked the people of Delhi for the &quot;huge scale&quot; of BJP&#39;s victory. &quot;This has gone beyond our expectations,&quot; he said.

Amit Shah said the Delhi verdict, which comes close on the heels of the BJP&#39;s success in the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, has only taken forward the &quot;Modi and BJP juggernaut&quot;.

Votes for the elections are being counted at 35 centres across the city. Of these, 16 are in north Delhi, 13 in the south, and six in east Delhi.&nbsp;Voting for three new municipal corporations in Delhi took place on Sunday, in which 54 percent of the 1.32 crore electorates exercised their franchise.

As many as 90,000 security personnel of Delhi Police, paramilitary forces and Home Guards have been deployed at counting centres.

On polling day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had attacked the State Election Commission claiming that reports of &quot;faulty&quot; EVMs were pouring in from across the national capital.

The Aam Aadmi Party chief also alleged that many voters with valid voter slips were &quot;not allowed&quot; to exercise their franchise in the municipal polls. Arvind Kejriwal had earlier demanded that the election be postponed till arrangements for VVPAT-equipped EVM were made.

The state election commission denied the charges.

&quot;EVM has proved that its unhackable. It is a robust machine. Don&#39;t think there should be any question related to EVM,&quot; State Election commissioner S K Shrivastava said.

Polling did not take place in two wards, Maujpur in east Delhi and Sarai Pipal Thala in north Delhi where a candidate each of the Samajwadi Party died.

The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were the three main contenders in the fray.

After losing in this month&#39;s assembly by-polls and the February elections in Punjab and Goa, the municipal polls will be an acid test for Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government in Delhi.

Kejriwal&#39;s former party colleague Yogendra Yadav, who now leads the Swaraj India, wrote an open letter to the chief minister and challenged him to win at least 50 percent seats in the civic polls or step down.

Even as the Swaraj India and the Janata Dal (United) look to expand base beyond Bihar and Jharkhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the AAP and the Congress have roped in top leaders and done whatever they could to woo the voters.

A total of 2,537 candidates were in the fray for the 104 seats each of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, and 64 seats of the East Delhi Municipal Congress.

For the first time in the MCD elections, the None Of The Above (NOTA) option has been made available.

The three civic bodies cover 68 of the 70 constituencies of the Delhi assembly. Two other smaller civic bodies are the Delhi Cantonment Board and the New Delhi Municipal Council.&nbsp;

(WION with inputs from agencies)

Aam Aadmi Party, however, said 'tampered' voting machines was the key reason for their loss

The Congress, which finished a distant third in the MCD polls, has got around 11 per cent more votes than the 2015 Assembly election, while the AAP's vote share came down to half of its previous tally. The Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), which bagged 181 of 270 wards in all three civic bodies today, has managed to increase its vote share by around 5 per cent. The party's vote share was 32.2 per cent in the 2015 Assembly election. In the Assembly polls, the vote share of the Congress was 9.7 per cent. It went up to 21.28 per cent in the MCD polls. The Aam Aadmi Party's vote share came down to around 26 per cent from 54.3 per cent in Assembly polls. The MCD poll results show that people have voted against the AAP government even as they have given their votes in favour of the BJP which has been ruling the civic bodies for the last 10 years. In the 2012 MCD polls, Delhiites had voted for the BJP at a time when the Congress was in power in the national capital. When the Delhi Assembly polls were held in 2013, people had voted against the Sheila Dikshit government with the BJP emerging as the largest party while the AAP was runner-up. In 2013 Assembly polls, the BJP had won 32 seats while the AAP had got 28 seats even as the latter had formed its government with the help of the Congress. In the 2015 Assembly election, the AAP had emerged victorious with 67 seats out of 70, decimating both the BJP and the Congress. AAP cries foul Meanwhile, AAP again cried foul over EVM tampering and rejected the idea of a Modi wave. Asserting that the BJP is winning because of the "rigged EVMs", Delhi transport minister Gopal Rai said that the saffron sweep in the civic polls is nothing less than a miracle which took place because the tampering of electoral machines. AAP's Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal conceded defeat in the municipal elections but refrained from raising the EVM issue in his tweet. I congratulate BJP on their victory in all 3 MCDs. My govt looks forward to working wid MCDs for the betterment of Delhi — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) April 26, 2017 × BJP chief Amit Shah thanked voters and said Modi's leadership has been accepted largely. "Voters rejected politics of excuse," he said. The BJP president thanked the people of Delhi for the "huge scale" of BJP's victory. "This has gone beyond our expectations," he said. Amit Shah said the Delhi verdict, which comes close on the heels of the BJP's success in the assembly polls in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Goa and Manipur, has only taken forward the "Modi and BJP juggernaut". Votes for the elections are being counted at 35 centres across the city. Of these, 16 are in north Delhi, 13 in the south, and six in east Delhi. Voting for three new municipal corporations in Delhi took place on Sunday, in which 54 percent of the 1.32 crore electorates exercised their franchise. As many as 90,000 security personnel of Delhi Police, paramilitary forces and Home Guards have been deployed at counting centres. On polling day, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal had attacked the State Election Commission claiming that reports of "faulty" EVMs were pouring in from across the national capital. The Aam Aadmi Party chief also alleged that many voters with valid voter slips were "not allowed" to exercise their franchise in the municipal polls. Arvind Kejriwal had earlier demanded that the election be postponed till arrangements for VVPAT-equipped EVM were made. The state election commission denied the charges. "EVM has proved that its unhackable. It is a robust machine. Don't think there should be any question related to EVM," State Election commissioner S K Shrivastava said. Polling did not take place in two wards, Maujpur in east Delhi and Sarai Pipal Thala in north Delhi where a candidate each of the Samajwadi Party died. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) were the three main contenders in the fray. After losing in this month's assembly by-polls and the February elections in Punjab and Goa, the municipal polls will be an acid test for Arvind Kejriwal-led Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) Government in Delhi. Kejriwal's former party colleague Yogendra Yadav, who now leads the Swaraj India, wrote an open letter to the chief minister and challenged him to win at least 50 percent seats in the civic polls or step down. Even as the Swaraj India and the Janata Dal (United) look to expand base beyond Bihar and Jharkhand, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the AAP and the Congress have roped in top leaders and done whatever they could to woo the voters. A total of 2,537 candidates were in the fray for the 104 seats each of the North Delhi Municipal Corporation and the South Delhi Municipal Corporation, and 64 seats of the East Delhi Municipal Congress. For the first time in the MCD elections, the None Of The Above (NOTA) option has been made available. The three civic bodies cover 68 of the 70 constituencies of the Delhi assembly. Two other smaller civic bodies are the Delhi Cantonment Board and the New Delhi Municipal Council. (WION with inputs from agencies)

BJP sweeps Delhi municipal elections

&nbsp;

In an electoral defeat, only half the battle is lost. The other half also goes when a vanquished political party refuses to acknowledge the reasons for the setback and takes refuge in excuses. In doing so, the party nips in the bud chances of an honest appraisal, subsequent corrective measures, and hopes of a comeback. One may wonder: Why would any political organisation want to willingly commit harakiri? It would, if its senior leadership has slipped into a delusional mode. Take the example of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which appears determined to self-destruct.

&nbsp;

This may sound like an exaggeration. The AAP is still dominant in the Delhi Assembly, having 66 out of 70 seats and is set to complete its five-year term unless there is a massive split in the party. It has a vast network of workers in the capital-state. It has spread its wings in neighbouring Punjab, has a semblance of an organisation in Goa, and is gearing up to fight the Gujarat Assembly election in the year-end. This should be quite a feat for a barely four-year-old party.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Ironically, the initial successes paved the way for the AAP&rsquo;s subsequent decline, as they made the party leadership over-confident, arrogant and oblivious to the people&rsquo;s changing mood. For all its grand talk of connecting with the masses, the AAP has never been more disconnected.

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<h5>For all its grand talk of connecting with the masses, the AAP has never been more disconnected.</h5>
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The Rajouri Garden by-election result in the party&rsquo;s stronghold of Delhi is a telling instance. Not only did the AAP lose a seat it had held but it also lost its deposit. The Congress, which had been decimated in the 2015 Assembly poll, pushed the ruling party to the third spot; the Bharatiya Janata Party, which had been routed, made a triumphant return by bagging the seat. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal&rsquo;s reaction demonstrated the party&rsquo;s unwillingness to see the writing on the wall. He claimed that the people had punished the AAP for having shifted its sitting legislator from Rajouri Garden to contest a seat in Punjab.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

One is not sure if the voters had perceived the shift as a crime which deserved punishment &mdash; but even if they did, was the crime of such a serious nature that the party should have lost its deposit? Kejriwal and his team know the answers lie elsewhere &mdash; they are not that dense &mdash; but they will not admit.

&nbsp;

It can be said that one swallow does not make a summer. But Rajouri Garden is not the only setback for the Aam Aadmi Party. It had made a big show of creating a splash in Goa when it decided to contest 39 of the 40 Assembly seats. Its candidates lost deposits in all but one constituency. Senior leaders from Kejriwal down had at various times camped and aggressively campaigned in Goa, hoping to cash in on a divided Congress and a BJP battling against a splinter group of the RSS and its partner, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party.&nbsp;

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The AAP may not have hoped to govern Goa, but it had expected better than losing security money all over the state. In Punjab, though, it was confident of forming the government. The situation seemed made-to-order for the AAP: the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP ruling coalition had fallen into disrepute and the Congress was a tried, tested and rejected option. Besides, all four Lok Sabha members the AAP had, were from Punjab, and they were expected to provide the necessary momentum. There was even talk of Kejriwal shifting to Punjab as the chief minister once his party won the election. But his party was humbled, securing just 20 seats, which were just a few more than the third-placed Akali Dal-BJP&rsquo;s tally.&nbsp;

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<h5>If the party does not fare well in the coming Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections, Kejriwal and his coterie will not have a fig leaf to hide behind.</h5>
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With three back-to-back defeats, the AAP is no longer on a sound footing. Rumblings have already begun within the party &mdash; a few of AAP&#39;s&nbsp;leaders have quit and joined its rivals and more could in the coming months &mdash; and the future is suddenly not so bright. If the party does not fare well in the coming Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections, Kejriwal and his coterie will not have a fig leaf to hide behind. The party may have survived the departure of Yogendra Yadav/ Prashant Bhushan-led group which essentially had no mass base, but it&rsquo;s unlikely to bounce back in time for the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the Delhi Assembly poll a year after that, in case it fails in its bid to gain dominance over the MCD.

&nbsp;

So, what went wrong for the AAP? Three primary reasons. The first is that the party has forgotten its core, which lies at its origin. It was born out of an anti-corruption/anti-criminalisation of politics movement. But as it settled down into its term after securing a hefty majority, many of its leaders came under the scanner for irregularities and criminal activities. Little action was taken against them. Worse, the government itself took questionable decisions, such as the appointment of parliamentary secretaries. When the likes of Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav protested against the party&rsquo;s and the government&rsquo;s dubious functioning, they were humiliated and shown the door. The people did not like the AAP&rsquo;s conduct.

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<h5>The voters realised that here was a chief minister and his party which, instead of working alongside the Centre on at least issues that concerned Delhi&rsquo;s betterment, were more intent in burnishing their own combative image.</h5>
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&nbsp;

The second reason has been an overdose of negative politics the AAP has indulged in. From calling the prime minister a &ldquo;psychopath&rdquo; to making allegedly defamatory statements against senior union ministers, such as Arun Jaitley, Chief Minister Kejriwal set the tone for the kind of politics he believes in. As far as the AAP is concerned, everything negative &mdash; from local to international &mdash; is the prime minister&rsquo;s doing. The voters were not amused.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

The voters realised that here was a chief minister and his party which, instead of working alongside the Centre on at least issues that concerned Delhi&rsquo;s betterment, were more intent in burnishing their own combative image. The aggression became all the more distasteful given that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP have been gaining ground across the country since 2014. Kejriwal&rsquo;s insulting barbs against the Congress&rsquo;s Captain Amarinder Singh in Punjab also ruffled voters&rsquo; feathers in that State and gave the latter a great deal of traction.

&nbsp;

The third is over-confidence, which is a direct offshoot of arrogance. The Delhi victory spurred the AAP into expanding its base without, one, building on the basics; and two, without setting an example of good governance in its flagship state, that is Delhi. Well-wishers of AAP had cautioned the leadership against stretching too far and too fast, but Kejriwal and team, intoxicated by the Delhi success and seduced by dreams of national (even international) prominence, refused to listen. At the end of the day, they are back to square one: Delhi!&nbsp;

&nbsp;

All is not lost for the party yet. The AAP needs to recalibrate its strategy, own up mistakes, and let go of its misplaced vigour for venomous talk. If it wants to be taken seriously, it must focus on good governance in the state it rules, and it should try to conduct itself with dignity.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

Kejriwal&rsquo;s mentor Anna Hazare has already lost hopes in his student. We&rsquo;ll know soon if the people of Delhi have too.&nbsp;

&nbsp;

(Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are that of the author and not of WION)

&nbsp; &nbsp;

Irregularities, combative image and arrogance are the three factors responsible for AAP's recent election debacles

In an electoral defeat, only half the battle is lost. The other half also goes when a vanquished political party refuses to acknowledge the reasons for the setback and takes refuge in excuses. In doing so, the party nips in the bud chances of an honest appraisal, subsequent corrective measures, and hopes of a comeback. One may wonder: Why would any political organisation want to willingly commit harakiri? It would, if its senior leadership has slipped into a delusional mode. Take the example of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP), which appears determined to self-destruct. This may sound like an exaggeration. The AAP is still dominant in the Delhi Assembly, having 66 out of 70 seats and is set to complete its five-year term unless there is a massive split in the party. It has a vast network of workers in the capital-state. It has spread its wings in neighbouring Punjab, has a semblance of an organisation in Goa, and is gearing up to fight the Gujarat Assembly election in the year-end. This should be quite a feat for a barely four-year-old party. Ironically, the initial successes paved the way for the AAP’s subsequent decline, as they made the party leadership over-confident, arrogant and oblivious to the people’s changing mood. For all its grand talk of connecting with the masses, the AAP has never been more disconnected. For all its grand talk of connecting with the masses, the AAP has never been more disconnected. × The Rajouri Garden by-election result in the party’s stronghold of Delhi is a telling instance. Not only did the AAP lose a seat it had held but it also lost its deposit. The Congress, which had been decimated in the 2015 Assembly poll, pushed the ruling party to the third spot; the Bharatiya Janata Party, which had been routed, made a triumphant return by bagging the seat. Delhi Chief Minister and AAP supremo Arvind Kejriwal’s reaction demonstrated the party’s unwillingness to see the writing on the wall. He claimed that the people had punished the AAP for having shifted its sitting legislator from Rajouri Garden to contest a seat in Punjab. One is not sure if the voters had perceived the shift as a crime which deserved punishment — but even if they did, was the crime of such a serious nature that the party should have lost its deposit? Kejriwal and his team know the answers lie elsewhere — they are not that dense — but they will not admit. It can be said that one swallow does not make a summer. But Rajouri Garden is not the only setback for the Aam Aadmi Party. It had made a big show of creating a splash in Goa when it decided to contest 39 of the 40 Assembly seats. Its candidates lost deposits in all but one constituency. Senior leaders from Kejriwal down had at various times camped and aggressively campaigned in Goa, hoping to cash in on a divided Congress and a BJP battling against a splinter group of the RSS and its partner, the Maharashtrawadi Gomantak Party. The AAP may not have hoped to govern Goa, but it had expected better than losing security money all over the state. In Punjab, though, it was confident of forming the government. The situation seemed made-to-order for the AAP: the Shiromani Akali Dal-BJP ruling coalition had fallen into disrepute and the Congress was a tried, tested and rejected option. Besides, all four Lok Sabha members the AAP had, were from Punjab, and they were expected to provide the necessary momentum. There was even talk of Kejriwal shifting to Punjab as the chief minister once his party won the election. But his party was humbled, securing just 20 seats, which were just a few more than the third-placed Akali Dal-BJP’s tally. If the party does not fare well in the coming Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections, Kejriwal and his coterie will not have a fig leaf to hide behind. × With three back-to-back defeats, the AAP is no longer on a sound footing. Rumblings have already begun within the party — a few of AAP's leaders have quit and joined its rivals and more could in the coming months — and the future is suddenly not so bright. If the party does not fare well in the coming Municipal Corporation of Delhi elections, Kejriwal and his coterie will not have a fig leaf to hide behind. The party may have survived the departure of Yogendra Yadav/ Prashant Bhushan-led group which essentially had no mass base, but it’s unlikely to bounce back in time for the 2019 Lok Sabha election and the Delhi Assembly poll a year after that, in case it fails in its bid to gain dominance over the MCD. So, what went wrong for the AAP? Three primary reasons. The first is that the party has forgotten its core, which lies at its origin. It was born out of an anti-corruption/anti-criminalisation of politics movement. But as it settled down into its term after securing a hefty majority, many of its leaders came under the scanner for irregularities and criminal activities. Little action was taken against them. Worse, the government itself took questionable decisions, such as the appointment of parliamentary secretaries. When the likes of Prashant Bhushan and Yogendra Yadav protested against the party’s and the government’s dubious functioning, they were humiliated and shown the door. The people did not like the AAP’s conduct. The voters realised that here was a chief minister and his party which, instead of working alongside the Centre on at least issues that concerned Delhi’s betterment, were more intent in burnishing their own combative image. × The second reason has been an overdose of negative politics the AAP has indulged in. From calling the prime minister a “psychopath” to making allegedly defamatory statements against senior union ministers, such as Arun Jaitley, Chief Minister Kejriwal set the tone for the kind of politics he believes in. As far as the AAP is concerned, everything negative — from local to international — is the prime minister’s doing. The voters were not amused. The voters realised that here was a chief minister and his party which, instead of working alongside the Centre on at least issues that concerned Delhi’s betterment, were more intent in burnishing their own combative image. The aggression became all the more distasteful given that Prime Minister Narendra Modi and the BJP have been gaining ground across the country since 2014. Kejriwal’s insulting barbs against the Congress’s Captain Amarinder Singh in Punjab also ruffled voters’ feathers in that State and gave the latter a great deal of traction. The third is over-confidence, which is a direct offshoot of arrogance. The Delhi victory spurred the AAP into expanding its base without, one, building on the basics; and two, without setting an example of good governance in its flagship state, that is Delhi. Well-wishers of AAP had cautioned the leadership against stretching too far and too fast, but Kejriwal and team, intoxicated by the Delhi success and seduced by dreams of national (even international) prominence, refused to listen. At the end of the day, they are back to square one: Delhi! All is not lost for the party yet. The AAP needs to recalibrate its strategy, own up mistakes, and let go of its misplaced vigour for venomous talk. If it wants to be taken seriously, it must focus on good governance in the state it rules, and it should try to conduct itself with dignity. Kejriwal’s mentor Anna Hazare has already lost hopes in his student. We’ll know soon if the people of Delhi have too. (Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are that of the author and not of WION)

Negative politics cripples Aam Aadmi Party's electoral prospects

There is no short cut to success and neither it can be consolidated by mere sloganeering. The byelections in Delhi are a warning sign to any political party which thrives on social media messaging and constant media turmoil. To sum it up, this is the worst moment for the sunshine party of Indian politics. Not only has AAP lost the elections but came a distant third and worse - it lost its deposit.&nbsp;

Not only has BJP&rsquo;s vote share surged over 50 per cent but even poll-battered Congress emerged stronger despite losing the seat to BJP in the Delhi byelections as its vote share surged to over 30 per cent - a huge boost in the reign of Modi.&nbsp;

What makes matters worse for AAP is that it has happened in the wake of Punjab and Goa assembly polls where AAP wanted to make a national debut but came up short there too. Today its own bastion is crumbling amid a lack of trust among voters in the national capital who expected the world from the rebel-turned-politician who during Anna&#39;s anti-corruption campaign in 2011 promised the Delhi electorate a new era of &#39;trust and responsibility&#39;. The message in the Delhi byelections is clear - it wasn&#39;t bad election management but trust which has collapsed. The signs are ominous with BJP snapping at its heel&nbsp;emboldened by victories nationwide.&nbsp;

Fundamentally, AAP believed that Congress is finished as a force in Delhi making it overconfident. This, coupled with constant bickering with the Centre on every little issue clearly put off Delhiites who prefer a man who can get the job done and does not blame everyone else when the going gets tough. The &#39;victim&#39; feeling of AAP being persecuted by the big brother at the Centre did not fool anyone. Though AAP can certainly claim to be arm twisted by the Centre on some issues but most of the skirmishes could have been avoided if chief minister Kejriwal had deferred his grand national ambition to a later date.

Fact that AAP committed itself to focus only on Delhi after its historic second win, there remained a lingering feeling that more could be done for the party despite a washout in the national elections. It rested on the belief that Rahul Gandhi and his beleaguered party is finished nationally and AAP can either be a natural successor or at least be part of big game politics where regional parties can stitch together a coalition to halt the BJP juggernaut.

The attempt to expand the party at the cost of fortifying their bastion lost them the game. Delhiites felt &nbsp;AAP was more interested in &#39;other&#39; national issues. Even before demonetization, AAP&rsquo;s odd-even campaign received full public support and cooperation because people felt that it is genuinely interested in issues close to Delhi&rsquo;s heart. It is the principal reason why not only did AAP come third in this election but lost its hard-earned deposit. AAP&rsquo;s vote is primarily the &#39;original&#39; Congress vote which is poised to being bifurcated for good now and this trend will become clear in this MCD poll.

But AAP&rsquo;s problem doesn&rsquo;t end with the MCD results. The Election Commission will soon pronounce its verdict on the issue of office-of-profit on 21 MLAs. In case, lawmakers are disqualified then 21 seats will hit the polls making it a referendum on AAP.&nbsp;

It might not immediately destabilise the government but it would make it &#39;ungovernable&#39; for Kejriwal. The Delhi byelection result is a lesson for everyone. BJP&rsquo;s vote share crossed 50 per cent which shows that comeback is possible provided&nbsp;the campaign is consistent and the message is clear.&nbsp;

In the case of AAP, &nbsp;the message got blurred. When it came to power, AAP stood for accountability and transparency in public life. Today, people see it as a bunch of individuals who want to climb the political ladder quickly at the expense of Delhi and add to this corruption cases has marred the credibility of AAP as a &#39;corruption-free&#39; and stable party. The AAP tenure has now known more for less work and more for corruption and impropriety in public - a far cry&nbsp;from its promise of a new dawn in Indian politics less than two years ago.

This problem is further compounded by intense internal fission which ended with the firing of senior leaders from the party. &nbsp;AAP looked like a school of squabbling leaders speaking in different voices. It reached a crescendo during Punjab elections where the party couldn&rsquo;t come to a conclusion over its chief ministerial candidate.&nbsp;

Despite the clarification from AAP that Kejriwal remains committed to Delhi, a nagging feeling existed in both Delhi and Punjab that Kejriwal wanted to leave Delhi for a &#39;bigger&#39; state.&nbsp;

The refusal to believe was the beginning of the end of AAP as the electorate in both states questioned its integrity and voted it out.

AAP still can turn things around provided it gives a&nbsp;silent and stable government. A government which works quietly and whose work can be seen by all and sundry. Euphoria in politics doesn&rsquo;t last forever. Hope and expectation need to be tempered with trust and good work. In this election, AAP has lost trust more than the election and if it wants to remain relevant in Delhi, it would need to regain the trust of the people. It would require them to spend time in office and not in front of its adversary&rsquo;s office.

Former chief minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit reshaped the map of the city within the same rules which now applies to Kejriwal. There is nothing wrong with the desire to become a national entity. TMC, NCP and many other parties have done the same but they could not buck the national trend and failed to evolve as a national party as their voter base remained mainly regional.&nbsp;

AAP, on the other hand, is not tied to the caste matrix at a regional level. The appeal of AAP lies in hope and promise. The promise was clean politics, silent governance and complete accountability which was forgotten within a short span of time. &nbsp;

However, as they say, a week is a long time in politics, AAP can still make a comeback provided it maintains its commitment towards the electorate which catapulted the party into the national limelight. All it needs to do now is to silently govern in Delhi and quietly expand outside. But for that to happen Kejriwal will have to resign as the Chief Minister and commit himself to the organization for the twin goals to be achieved.&nbsp;

It cannot be done in its current avatar. And for that to happen, the public campaigner will have to once again relinquish the public office and go back to the people.

(WION)

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The rise and fall of a party that was heralded in the Indian political scene with much fanfare-- the Aam Aadmi party in 2013, the party fighting the elections for the first time in the state of Delhi and won an impressive 28 of the 70 seats (WION)
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When it came to power, AAP stood for accountability and transparency in public life which now stands tarnished

There is no short cut to success and neither it can be consolidated by mere sloganeering. The byelections in Delhi are a warning sign to any political party which thrives on social media messaging and constant media turmoil. To sum it up, this is the worst moment for the sunshine party of Indian politics. Not only has AAP lost the elections but came a distant third and worse - it lost its deposit. Not only has BJP’s vote share surged over 50 per cent but even poll-battered Congress emerged stronger despite losing the seat to BJP in the Delhi byelections as its vote share surged to over 30 per cent - a huge boost in the reign of Modi. What makes matters worse for AAP is that it has happened in the wake of Punjab and Goa assembly polls where AAP wanted to make a national debut but came up short there too. Today its own bastion is crumbling amid a lack of trust among voters in the national capital who expected the world from the rebel-turned-politician who during Anna's anti-corruption campaign in 2011 promised the Delhi electorate a new era of 'trust and responsibility'. The message in the Delhi byelections is clear - it wasn't bad election management but trust which has collapsed. The signs are ominous with BJP snapping at its heel emboldened by victories nationwide. Fundamentally, AAP believed that Congress is finished as a force in Delhi making it overconfident. This, coupled with constant bickering with the Centre on every little issue clearly put off Delhiites who prefer a man who can get the job done and does not blame everyone else when the going gets tough. The 'victim' feeling of AAP being persecuted by the big brother at the Centre did not fool anyone. Though AAP can certainly claim to be arm twisted by the Centre on some issues but most of the skirmishes could have been avoided if chief minister Kejriwal had deferred his grand national ambition to a later date. Fact that AAP committed itself to focus only on Delhi after its historic second win, there remained a lingering feeling that more could be done for the party despite a washout in the national elections. It rested on the belief that Rahul Gandhi and his beleaguered party is finished nationally and AAP can either be a natural successor or at least be part of big game politics where regional parties can stitch together a coalition to halt the BJP juggernaut. The attempt to expand the party at the cost of fortifying their bastion lost them the game. Delhiites felt AAP was more interested in 'other' national issues. Even before demonetization, AAP’s odd-even campaign received full public support and cooperation because people felt that it is genuinely interested in issues close to Delhi’s heart. It is the principal reason why not only did AAP come third in this election but lost its hard-earned deposit. AAP’s vote is primarily the 'original' Congress vote which is poised to being bifurcated for good now and this trend will become clear in this MCD poll. But AAP’s problem doesn’t end with the MCD results. The Election Commission will soon pronounce its verdict on the issue of office-of-profit on 21 MLAs. In case, lawmakers are disqualified then 21 seats will hit the polls making it a referendum on AAP. It might not immediately destabilise the government but it would make it 'ungovernable' for Kejriwal. The Delhi byelection result is a lesson for everyone. BJP’s vote share crossed 50 per cent which shows that comeback is possible provided the campaign is consistent and the message is clear. In the case of AAP, the message got blurred. When it came to power, AAP stood for accountability and transparency in public life. Today, people see it as a bunch of individuals who want to climb the political ladder quickly at the expense of Delhi and add to this corruption cases has marred the credibility of AAP as a 'corruption-free' and stable party. The AAP tenure has now known more for less work and more for corruption and impropriety in public - a far cry from its promise of a new dawn in Indian politics less than two years ago. This problem is further compounded by intense internal fission which ended with the firing of senior leaders from the party. AAP looked like a school of squabbling leaders speaking in different voices. It reached a crescendo during Punjab elections where the party couldn’t come to a conclusion over its chief ministerial candidate. Despite the clarification from AAP that Kejriwal remains committed to Delhi, a nagging feeling existed in both Delhi and Punjab that Kejriwal wanted to leave Delhi for a 'bigger' state. The refusal to believe was the beginning of the end of AAP as the electorate in both states questioned its integrity and voted it out. AAP still can turn things around provided it gives a silent and stable government. A government which works quietly and whose work can be seen by all and sundry. Euphoria in politics doesn’t last forever. Hope and expectation need to be tempered with trust and good work. In this election, AAP has lost trust more than the election and if it wants to remain relevant in Delhi, it would need to regain the trust of the people. It would require them to spend time in office and not in front of its adversary’s office. Former chief minister of Delhi Sheila Dikshit reshaped the map of the city within the same rules which now applies to Kejriwal. There is nothing wrong with the desire to become a national entity. TMC, NCP and many other parties have done the same but they could not buck the national trend and failed to evolve as a national party as their voter base remained mainly regional. AAP, on the other hand, is not tied to the caste matrix at a regional level. The appeal of AAP lies in hope and promise. The promise was clean politics, silent governance and complete accountability which was forgotten within a short span of time. However, as they say, a week is a long time in politics, AAP can still make a comeback provided it maintains its commitment towards the electorate which catapulted the party into the national limelight. All it needs to do now is to silently govern in Delhi and quietly expand outside. But for that to happen Kejriwal will have to resign as the Chief Minister and commit himself to the organization for the twin goals to be achieved. It cannot be done in its current avatar. And for that to happen, the public campaigner will have to once again relinquish the public office and go back to the people. (WION) The rise and fall of a party that was heralded in the Indian political scene with much fanfare-- the Aam Aadmi party in 2013, the party fighting the elections for the first time in the state of Delhi and won an impressive 28 of the 70 seats (WION) ×

Delhi Byelection verdict: Aam Admi naaraz with AAP government

Ahead of the MCD polls, the BJP Saturday&nbsp;alleged the AAP government had squandered public funds on lunches at chief minister Arvind Kejriwal&#39;s residence last year that cost a whopping Rs 13,000 per person, a charge denied by the ruling party. 
 
Demanding the government&#39;s resignation, leader of opposition in the Delhi assembly, Vijender Gupta, alleged that the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) had organised two lunch parties last year on February 11 and 12 for 50 and 30 persons respectively which cost over Rs 11 lakh. 
 
Federal minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal termed the alleged expenditure &quot;mind boggling&quot;. 
 
&quot;The government is a custodian of public funds entrusted to it by taxpayers in the form of exchequer. But Kejriwal and his party have been misusing these funds for the last two years for its political needs and purposes,&quot; Goyal said. 
 
Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia denied the allegations saying he had never cleared the file for the expense which was sent to him. 
 
&quot;The so-called food bill of Rs 13,000 was sent to me by officers for clearance a year back, but I never approved them. The files have been with the then LG Najeeb Jung&#39;s office for the past six months. It seems the LG&#39;s office has leaked it now under pressure from the BJP,&quot; he alleged. 
 
He said that the files were being leaked selectively to defame the AAP government ahead of the upcoming MCD polls. 
&quot;I dare them to release the file in which I have clearly made a note refusing to clear payment,&quot; he added. 
 
Leader of opposition in the Delhi assembly, Vijender Gupta, alleged that the catering arrangements for the lunches at Kejriwal&#39;s residence were made by a leading five-star hotel. 
 
The permissible limit under financial rules is Rs 1,250 per person for hosting a lunch in non-five star hotels, he said.

&quot;No codal formalities or financial rules were followed before placing the orders. Two bills were raised by DTTDC for a total amount of Rs 11,04,357,&quot; Gupta said, showing the copies of the bills in a press conference. 
 
He further said that bill for the lunch on February 11 was Rs 6,23,605 and the cost per plate was Rs 12,472 and price of same plate rose to Rs 16,025 for the lunch organised very next day.

It is beyond understanding why the expenditure per plate rose by Rs 3,553 more than 28.50 per centre overnight, Gupta said. 
 
&quot;This is a criminal waste of government exchequer by the Kejriwal government. I urge the Lt Governor to order a high-level enquiry into violation of financial rules by the Kejriwal government,&quot; Gupta said. 
 
(PTI)

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP has denied the charges

Ahead of the MCD polls, the BJP Saturday alleged the AAP government had squandered public funds on lunches at chief minister Arvind Kejriwal's residence last year that cost a whopping Rs 13,000 per person, a charge denied by the ruling party. Demanding the government's resignation, leader of opposition in the Delhi assembly, Vijender Gupta, alleged that the Delhi Tourism and Transport Development Corporation (DTTDC) had organised two lunch parties last year on February 11 and 12 for 50 and 30 persons respectively which cost over Rs 11 lakh. Federal minister and senior BJP leader Piyush Goyal termed the alleged expenditure "mind boggling". "The government is a custodian of public funds entrusted to it by taxpayers in the form of exchequer. But Kejriwal and his party have been misusing these funds for the last two years for its political needs and purposes," Goyal said. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia denied the allegations saying he had never cleared the file for the expense which was sent to him. "The so-called food bill of Rs 13,000 was sent to me by officers for clearance a year back, but I never approved them. The files have been with the then LG Najeeb Jung's office for the past six months. It seems the LG's office has leaked it now under pressure from the BJP," he alleged. He said that the files were being leaked selectively to defame the AAP government ahead of the upcoming MCD polls. "I dare them to release the file in which I have clearly made a note refusing to clear payment," he added. Leader of opposition in the Delhi assembly, Vijender Gupta, alleged that the catering arrangements for the lunches at Kejriwal's residence were made by a leading five-star hotel. The permissible limit under financial rules is Rs 1,250 per person for hosting a lunch in non-five star hotels, he said. "No codal formalities or financial rules were followed before placing the orders. Two bills were raised by DTTDC for a total amount of Rs 11,04,357," Gupta said, showing the copies of the bills in a press conference. He further said that bill for the lunch on February 11 was Rs 6,23,605 and the cost per plate was Rs 12,472 and price of same plate rose to Rs 16,025 for the lunch organised very next day. It is beyond understanding why the expenditure per plate rose by Rs 3,553 more than 28.50 per centre overnight, Gupta said. "This is a criminal waste of government exchequer by the Kejriwal government. I urge the Lt Governor to order a high-level enquiry into violation of financial rules by the Kejriwal government," Gupta said. (PTI)

BJP now accuses AAP of spending Rs 13,000 per person at Kejriwal lunch

In what may land Aam Admi Party (AAP) in the soup, Shunglu Committee, formed by former Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung, has highlighted the `gross abuse of power` by the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in the appointment process.

The three-member committee, in over 100-page report, questioned the appointment of Health Minister Satyendra Jain`s daughter Soumya Jain as an adviser to Mission Director, Delhi State Health Mission.

Soumya is an architect by profession and her expertise in Mohalla clinics was touted.

The file contained no evidence of who approved her appointment.

The AAP government paid her a salary of Rs 1.15 lakh from the period April 18 to July 14, 2016, when Soumya resigned from the post.

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The appointment of Nikunj Agarwal, a relative of Kejriwal, as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the health minister has also been questioned by the committee.

The committee has raised objection on the appointment of several personal staff of ministers including Roshan Shankar as advisor to the minister of tourism, appointment of Abhinav Rai to the minister of transport, appointment of Rahul Bhasin in CM office, appointment of Gopal Mohan, a close associate of Arvind Kejriwal.

Shunglu Committee has also raised questions on the appointment made under co-terminus basis, appointments of consultants and contractual appointments without following procedures.

The appointment of Parija P as a full-term member of administration in Delhi`s municipal taxation tribunal was also pointed out by the committee.

It must be noted that Parija had no administrative experience and was unqualified for the post which required at least a secretary-level officer of Delhi to fill it.&nbsp;

(ANI)&nbsp;

It questioned the appointment of the health minister's architect daughter as adviser to the Mission Director, Delhi State Health Mission

In what may land Aam Admi Party (AAP) in the soup, Shunglu Committee, formed by former Lt. Governor Najeeb Jung, has highlighted the `gross abuse of power` by the Arvind Kejriwal-led government in the appointment process. The three-member committee, in over 100-page report, questioned the appointment of Health Minister Satyendra Jain`s daughter Soumya Jain as an adviser to Mission Director, Delhi State Health Mission. Soumya is an architect by profession and her expertise in Mohalla clinics was touted. The file contained no evidence of who approved her appointment. The AAP government paid her a salary of Rs 1.15 lakh from the period April 18 to July 14, 2016, when Soumya resigned from the post. The appointment of Nikunj Agarwal, a relative of Kejriwal's, as the officer on special duty (OSD) to the health minister was questioned by the committee × The appointment of Nikunj Agarwal, a relative of Kejriwal, as the Officer on Special Duty (OSD) to the health minister has also been questioned by the committee. The committee has raised objection on the appointment of several personal staff of ministers including Roshan Shankar as advisor to the minister of tourism, appointment of Abhinav Rai to the minister of transport, appointment of Rahul Bhasin in CM office, appointment of Gopal Mohan, a close associate of Arvind Kejriwal. Shunglu Committee has also raised questions on the appointment made under co-terminus basis, appointments of consultants and contractual appointments without following procedures. The appointment of Parija P as a full-term member of administration in Delhi`s municipal taxation tribunal was also pointed out by the committee. It must be noted that Parija had no administrative experience and was unqualified for the post which required at least a secretary-level officer of Delhi to fill it. (ANI)

Shunglu Committee accuses Kejriwal's AAP govt of 'gross abuse of power'

&quot;Should I pay from my pocket?&quot; Arvind Kejriwal today asked, breaking his silence on the controversy over his move to pay lawyer Ram Jethmalani from the public exchequer for defending him in a defamation case.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who had directed the General Administration Department to clear the bills due to Jethmalani, said the issue has been raked up to divert the attention from the EVM controversy.

Jethmalani has not been paid yet and the matter is pending with Lt Governor Anil Baijal.

The bills totalled around Rs 3.4 crore.

Kejriwal made the remarks addressing a rally in north-east Delhi&#39;s Seemapuri constituency. He said the controversy was created to &quot;weaken&quot; the AAP government&#39;s fight against corruption.

&quot;Who plays cricket here?&quot; he asked pointing towards the crowd. &quot;In Delhi there was massive corruption in cricket. You must have heard of DDCA. It was heavily corrupt. Youngsters used to come to me and complain that money is sought for selection.&quot;

&quot;I initiated a probe into it. Then the BJP filed a case against me. We hired top lawyer Ram Jethmalani. They ask why should the government pay? Should I pay from my pocket? They want to weaken our fight against corruption,&quot; Kejriwal said.

Meanwhile, Sisodia, speaking to reporters outside his residence, said the defamation case against Kejriwal was filed as he had launched a probe into &quot;corruption&quot; prevalent in the Delhi and District Cricket Administration (DDCA).

&quot;When they challenged something which was being probed by the government then the lawyers bill has to be paid by the government. It was not Arvind Kejriwal&#39;s personal case.

Sisodia also raised question over the timing of the issue being raked up.

&quot;The case has been on for the last one and a half years. But why is it being talked about now? Because they have found themselves in a spot over the EVM controversy,&quot; he said.

(PTI)

Kejriwal's legal bills, against a defamation case filed by Indian finance minister Arun Jaitley, add up to Rs 3.4 crore

"Should I pay from my pocket?" Arvind Kejriwal today asked, breaking his silence on the controversy over his move to pay lawyer Ram Jethmalani from the public exchequer for defending him in a defamation case. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, who had directed the General Administration Department to clear the bills due to Jethmalani, said the issue has been raked up to divert the attention from the EVM controversy. Jethmalani has not been paid yet and the matter is pending with Lt Governor Anil Baijal. The bills totalled around Rs 3.4 crore. Kejriwal made the remarks addressing a rally in north-east Delhi's Seemapuri constituency. He said the controversy was created to "weaken" the AAP government's fight against corruption. "Who plays cricket here?" he asked pointing towards the crowd. "In Delhi there was massive corruption in cricket. You must have heard of DDCA. It was heavily corrupt. Youngsters used to come to me and complain that money is sought for selection." "I initiated a probe into it. Then the BJP filed a case against me. We hired top lawyer Ram Jethmalani. They ask why should the government pay? Should I pay from my pocket? They want to weaken our fight against corruption," Kejriwal said. Meanwhile, Sisodia, speaking to reporters outside his residence, said the defamation case against Kejriwal was filed as he had launched a probe into "corruption" prevalent in the Delhi and District Cricket Administration (DDCA). "When they challenged something which was being probed by the government then the lawyers bill has to be paid by the government. It was not Arvind Kejriwal's personal case. Sisodia also raised question over the timing of the issue being raked up. "The case has been on for the last one and a half years. But why is it being talked about now? Because they have found themselves in a spot over the EVM controversy," he said. (PTI)

Delhi chief minister Kejriwal on paying Jethmalani bill: 'Should I pay from my pocket?'

Veteran lawyer Ram Jethmalani, who is Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal&#39;s counsel in the defamation case filed against him by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, on Tuesday said that he would work for free if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo cannot pay him his fees.

&quot;Even now if the government doesn&#39;t pay or he can&#39;t pay, I will appear free. I will then treat him as one of my poor clients,&quot; Jethmalani told ANI in an exclusive conversation.

Venting his ire over reports suggesting that Delhi&#39;s Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has sought Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar&#39;s advice in clearing the bills, the veteran lawyer said they are all in Jaitley&#39;s control.

Jethmalani further said that he charges only the rich clients.

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&quot;Everybody knows this in this country that I charge only the rich, but for poor people I do work free and the poor people are about 90 per cent of my client,&quot; he said.

Jethmalani, who is defending Kejriwal in both a criminal and a civil defamation case filed by Jaitley, has reportedly sent bills for Rs one crore in retainership and Rs. 22 lakh for each appearance in court to the Delhi Chief Minister.

Jethmalani has made 11 appearances so far, leading to a total of Rs 3.42 crore.

Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has signed off on the bills and sent them for clearance to the Lieutenant Governor, who had sought the opinion of experts on how to proceed.

Baijal&#39;s move comes after the Delhi Government&#39;s Law Department, responding to a note by Sisodia, said that Lieutenant Governor&#39;s permission for clearing the bills was necessary.

(ANI)

Jethmalani is representing the Delhi chief minister in the defamation case filed against him by finance minister Arun Jaitely

Veteran lawyer Ram Jethmalani, who is Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal's counsel in the defamation case filed against him by Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley, on Tuesday said that he would work for free if the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) supremo cannot pay him his fees. "Even now if the government doesn't pay or he can't pay, I will appear free. I will then treat him as one of my poor clients," Jethmalani told ANI in an exclusive conversation. Venting his ire over reports suggesting that Delhi's Lieutenant Governor Anil Baijal has sought Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar's advice in clearing the bills, the veteran lawyer said they are all in Jaitley's control. Jethmalani further said that he charges only the rich clients. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has signed off on the bills and sent them for clearance to the Lieutenant Governor, who had sought the opinion of experts on how to proceed × "Everybody knows this in this country that I charge only the rich, but for poor people I do work free and the poor people are about 90 per cent of my client," he said. Jethmalani, who is defending Kejriwal in both a criminal and a civil defamation case filed by Jaitley, has reportedly sent bills for Rs one crore in retainership and Rs. 22 lakh for each appearance in court to the Delhi Chief Minister. Jethmalani has made 11 appearances so far, leading to a total of Rs 3.42 crore. Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia has signed off on the bills and sent them for clearance to the Lieutenant Governor, who had sought the opinion of experts on how to proceed. Baijal's move comes after the Delhi Government's Law Department, responding to a note by Sisodia, said that Lieutenant Governor's permission for clearing the bills was necessary. (ANI)

Jethmalani says will work for free if Kejriwal cannot pay legal fees

The municipal election in Delhi should be &quot;postponed&quot; so that it can be held using ballot papers, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday&nbsp;said, three weeks before the polls.

Kejriwal had made the demand right after the Punjab state polls results were announced, questioning the reliability of electronic voting machines (EVMs). But it was rejected by Lt Governor Anil Baijal who cited &quot;time constraints&quot; to effect any change in mode of polling.

On the Election Commission asking the AAP to &quot;introspect&quot; on the reasons behind its performance in Punjab, Kejriwal&#39;s caustic response was that he was considering including the EC in his party&#39;s decision-making body, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC).

Addressing a press conference at his residence, Kejriwal alleged &quot;widepsread tampering&quot; of EVMs and claimed VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines from Uttar Pradesh were being brought to conduct the Rajouri Garden bypoll.

&quot;MCD polls should be held using paper ballots. It should be postponed if time is required to do that,&quot; he told reporters.

The State Election Commission has already declared that the municipal polls will be held on April 23.

&quot;This goes against the norm that EVMs used in one election cannot be used in another for at least 45 days,&quot; the Delhi chief minister&nbsp;said.

He has also written to the EC claiming that &quot;our experts&quot; will prove that the voting machines can be tampered with. &quot;I challenge the ECI to give us 72 hours to prove it&quot;.

The AAP chief said in light of reports that even VVPAT machines were not reliable, ballot papers were the &quot;only safe option&quot;, which, he said, has been adopted by many western countries.

&quot;The microchips inside the EVMs can be fiddled with. Sophisticated software is being used to do that. But not all machines are tampered, the critical ones are,&quot; Kejriwal claimed without elaborating further.

He also questioned the EC for using EVMs used in Uttar Pradesh&#39;s Govind Nagar for conducting bypolls in Madhya Pradesh&#39;s Bhind.

At Bhind, VVPAT-enabled EVMs were found printing the BJP&#39;s poll symbol irrespective of the button pressed during a mock trial, which the opposition parties had latched on to.&nbsp; 
 
(PTI)

 
&nbsp;

Kejriwal wants the civic polls in Delhi to be postponed so that they can be held using ballot papers

The municipal election in Delhi should be "postponed" so that it can be held using ballot papers, Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal Monday said, three weeks before the polls. Kejriwal had made the demand right after the Punjab state polls results were announced, questioning the reliability of electronic voting machines (EVMs). But it was rejected by Lt Governor Anil Baijal who cited "time constraints" to effect any change in mode of polling. On the Election Commission asking the AAP to "introspect" on the reasons behind its performance in Punjab, Kejriwal's caustic response was that he was considering including the EC in his party's decision-making body, the Political Affairs Committee (PAC). Addressing a press conference at his residence, Kejriwal alleged "widepsread tampering" of EVMs and claimed VVPAT (Voter Verifiable Paper Audit Trail) machines from Uttar Pradesh were being brought to conduct the Rajouri Garden bypoll. "MCD polls should be held using paper ballots. It should be postponed if time is required to do that," he told reporters. The State Election Commission has already declared that the municipal polls will be held on April 23. "This goes against the norm that EVMs used in one election cannot be used in another for at least 45 days," the Delhi chief minister said. He has also written to the EC claiming that "our experts" will prove that the voting machines can be tampered with. "I challenge the ECI to give us 72 hours to prove it". The AAP chief said in light of reports that even VVPAT machines were not reliable, ballot papers were the "only safe option", which, he said, has been adopted by many western countries. "The microchips inside the EVMs can be fiddled with. Sophisticated software is being used to do that. But not all machines are tampered, the critical ones are," Kejriwal claimed without elaborating further. He also questioned the EC for using EVMs used in Uttar Pradesh's Govind Nagar for conducting bypolls in Madhya Pradesh's Bhind. At Bhind, VVPAT-enabled EVMs were found printing the BJP's poll symbol irrespective of the button pressed during a mock trial, which the opposition parties had latched on to. (PTI)

Delhi chief minister alleges 'widespread tampering' of EVMs, wants civic polls postponed

In a setback to the Kejriwal dispensation, Lt Governor Anil Baijal has directed that Rs 970 million (Rs 97 crore) be recoverd from AAP that was allegedly &quot;splurged&quot; by the city government on advertisements in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines.

Baijal also ordered an inquiry into the spendings on advertisements projecting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party and asked the chief secretary to fix responsibility.

The AAP will have to reimburse the money within a month.

The move comes months after a Centre-appointed three-member committee indicted the AAP government for &quot;misusing&quot; exchequer money on advertisements.

Sources told PTI that out of Rs 97 crore incurred on advertisements, government has so far paid Rs 42 crore to ad agencies and the LG has directed Chief Secretary M M Kutty to get the amount reimbursed from the AAP.

The rest Rs 55 crore, which is yet to be paid by the Kejriwal government, would be given by Aam Aadmi Party to the ad agencies, according to the the LG&#39;s directions.

Last year, the three-member committee, headed by former Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon, had been constituted by the I&amp;B ministry on directions of the Supreme Court to address issues related to Content Regulation in Government Advertising.

&quot;The Lt Governor has now directed the Chief Secretary to get the amount of Rs 97 crore from Aam Aadmi Party,&quot; a source said.

In a report earlier this month, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had also found that the Aam Aadmi Party government spent Rs 29 crore in releasing advertisements outside Delhi which was &quot;beyond&quot; its responsibility.

It had also said that advertisements worth Rs 24 crore released by it were in violation of financial propriety and Supreme Court regulations, stated the CAG report tabled in the Delhi Assembly on March 10.

The AAP Government had rejected the report.

Last year, the committee had received a complaint from Congress leader Ajay Maken accusing the AAP government in Delhi of splurging public money on advertisements.

In its order in September last year, the panel had said, &quot;It came to the conclusion that the Government of NCT of Delhi has violated guidelines issued by the Hon&#39;ble Supreme Court of India in six of the nine areas listed by the complainant&quot;.

The violations include &quot;outstation advertisements, false/misleading advertisements, advertisements for self- glorification and to target political opponents, advertisements against media, advertisements mentioning the party in power by name and also advertisements issued on incidents occurring in other states.&quot;

In its order, the panel which also comprised adman Piyush Pandey and journalist Rajat Sharma, had said that AAP should be made to reimburse the expenditure since the violation of the Supreme Court order of May 13, 2015, has taken place. 
The assessment of the expenditure should be made by the Delhi government, it said.

The panel had also directed Delhi the government to assess expenditure incurred by it in issuing advertisements outside the territory of Delhi on the occasion of various anniversaries (except those tender or appointment advertisements which are outside the purview of the Supreme Court laid guidelines in a judgment delivered in May 2015).

It had directed that the Delhi government assess expenditure on those advertisements or advertorials in which the name of Aam Admi Party is mentioned, which publicized the views of the Chief Minister on incidents that took place in other states, and advertisements which targeted the opposition.

&quot;The committee further directs the Government of NCT of Delhi to get the entire expenditure so incurred on the above mentioned category of advertisements reimbursed to the State exchequer from the Aam Admi Party,&quot; the order of the Committee on Content Regulation of government advertisements had held.

(PTI)

The AAP will have to reimburse the money within a month

In a setback to the Kejriwal dispensation, Lt Governor Anil Baijal has directed that Rs 970 million (Rs 97 crore) be recoverd from AAP that was allegedly "splurged" by the city government on advertisements in violation of the Supreme Court guidelines. Baijal also ordered an inquiry into the spendings on advertisements projecting Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and his party and asked the chief secretary to fix responsibility. The AAP will have to reimburse the money within a month. The move comes months after a Centre-appointed three-member committee indicted the AAP government for "misusing" exchequer money on advertisements. Sources told PTI that out of Rs 97 crore incurred on advertisements, government has so far paid Rs 42 crore to ad agencies and the LG has directed Chief Secretary M M Kutty to get the amount reimbursed from the AAP. The rest Rs 55 crore, which is yet to be paid by the Kejriwal government, would be given by Aam Aadmi Party to the ad agencies, according to the the LG's directions. Last year, the three-member committee, headed by former Chief Election Commissioner B B Tandon, had been constituted by the I&B ministry on directions of the Supreme Court to address issues related to Content Regulation in Government Advertising. "The Lt Governor has now directed the Chief Secretary to get the amount of Rs 97 crore from Aam Aadmi Party," a source said. In a report earlier this month, the Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) had also found that the Aam Aadmi Party government spent Rs 29 crore in releasing advertisements outside Delhi which was "beyond" its responsibility. It had also said that advertisements worth Rs 24 crore released by it were in violation of financial propriety and Supreme Court regulations, stated the CAG report tabled in the Delhi Assembly on March 10. The AAP Government had rejected the report. Last year, the committee had received a complaint from Congress leader Ajay Maken accusing the AAP government in Delhi of splurging public money on advertisements. In its order in September last year, the panel had said, "It came to the conclusion that the Government of NCT of Delhi has violated guidelines issued by the Hon'ble Supreme Court of India in six of the nine areas listed by the complainant". The violations include "outstation advertisements, false/misleading advertisements, advertisements for self- glorification and to target political opponents, advertisements against media, advertisements mentioning the party in power by name and also advertisements issued on incidents occurring in other states." In its order, the panel which also comprised adman Piyush Pandey and journalist Rajat Sharma, had said that AAP should be made to reimburse the expenditure since the violation of the Supreme Court order of May 13, 2015, has taken place. The assessment of the expenditure should be made by the Delhi government, it said. The panel had also directed Delhi the government to assess expenditure incurred by it in issuing advertisements outside the territory of Delhi on the occasion of various anniversaries (except those tender or appointment advertisements which are outside the purview of the Supreme Court laid guidelines in a judgment delivered in May 2015). It had directed that the Delhi government assess expenditure on those advertisements or advertorials in which the name of Aam Admi Party is mentioned, which publicized the views of the Chief Minister on incidents that took place in other states, and advertisements which targeted the opposition. "The committee further directs the Government of NCT of Delhi to get the entire expenditure so incurred on the above mentioned category of advertisements reimbursed to the State exchequer from the Aam Admi Party," the order of the Committee on Content Regulation of government advertisements had held. (PTI)

Arvind Kejriwal's AAP asked to pay Rs 970 million for spending on advertisements

A Delhi Court on Saturday put on trial Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal in a criminal defamation case filed by finance minister Arun Jaitley after he pleaded &#39;not guilty&#39; and said he was ready to face trial.

The Delhi chief minister had accused Arun Jaitley of financial&nbsp;irregularities when he was president of the&nbsp;Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) which he headed for a decade till 2013.

The trial in the case will commence&nbsp;from May 20.

Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass framed the defamation notice against Kejriwal and other five AAP leaders -- Ashutosh, Kumar Vishwas, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chaddha and Deepak Bajpai -- after they pleaded not guilty and claimed trial.

The court witnessed chaotic scenes after advocates from both the sides heatedly argued over Jaitley&#39;s absence from court.&nbsp;

Arun Jaitley had filed the suit seeking Rs 10 crore in damages after Kejriwal and the five other AAP leaders accused him of alleged irregularities and financial bungling in the DDCA.

Besides the criminal defamation complaint in the Patiala House Court, Arun Jaitley had also&nbsp;filed a&nbsp;civil defamation case against the AAP leaders&nbsp;in&nbsp;the Delhi High Court.&nbsp;

The finance minister alleged that the AAP leaders made &quot;false and defamatory&quot; statements, thereby harming his reputation.

(WION with inputs from agencies) 
&nbsp;

The court framed a notice against Kejriwal and other AAP leaders after he pleaded 'not guilty'

A Delhi Court on Saturday put on trial Aam Aadmi Party leader Arvind Kejriwal in a criminal defamation case filed by finance minister Arun Jaitley after he pleaded 'not guilty' and said he was ready to face trial. The Delhi chief minister had accused Arun Jaitley of financial irregularities when he was president of the Delhi and District Cricket Association (DDCA) which he headed for a decade till 2013. The trial in the case will commence from May 20. Chief Metropolitan Magistrate Sumit Dass framed the defamation notice against Kejriwal and other five AAP leaders -- Ashutosh, Kumar Vishwas, Sanjay Singh, Raghav Chaddha and Deepak Bajpai -- after they pleaded not guilty and claimed trial. The court witnessed chaotic scenes after advocates from both the sides heatedly argued over Jaitley's absence from court. Arun Jaitley had filed the suit seeking Rs 10 crore in damages after Kejriwal and the five other AAP leaders accused him of alleged irregularities and financial bungling in the DDCA. Besides the criminal defamation complaint in the Patiala House Court, Arun Jaitley had also filed a civil defamation case against the AAP leaders in the Delhi High Court. The finance minister alleged that the AAP leaders made "false and defamatory" statements, thereby harming his reputation. (WION with inputs from agencies)

Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal to face trial in Arun Jaitley's criminal defamation case

The Indian government&#39;s income-tax (I-T) department has submitted a report to the election commission which states that the audit reports prepared by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for donations of about Rs 27 crore do not match with the actual funds received by it from various donors.

Officials said this could form the basis for the cancellation of tax exemptions given under the I-T Act to the AAP and could also follow a stringent action of deregistration of the party, but all such decisions were exclusively under the domain of the Election Commission, PTI reported.

The report states that the records of donations made to the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP during 2013-14 and 2014-15 are incorrect and have discrepancies, PTI&nbsp;reported. The department has been investigating the donations list of the party for over a&nbsp;year.

Income Tax officials said the AAP treasurer had acknowledged &quot;certain errors&quot; in the records in their communication with the taxman, PTI reported.

The officials said the alleged discrepancies in the donation records of the&nbsp;party&nbsp;were about Rs 27 crore.

Parties prepare audit reports, in consultation with their chartered accountants, and submit a copy to the I-T department as per the law.

The I-T report suggested that the violations were in contravention of tax laws that governed political donations as stipulated under the Income Tax Act, 1961.

AAP chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that it was a &quot;dirty trick&quot; by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the AAP deregistered because of fear of losing the state elections in Punjab and Goa, which begin tomorrow.

&quot;Modiji&#39;s dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to deregister the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator,&quot; he tweeted.

&nbsp;

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<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en">
Modiji&#39;s dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to de-register the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator <a href="https://t.co/XMSdXj1OSg">https://t.co/XMSdXj1OSg</a>
&mdash; Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) <a href="https://twitter.com/ArvindKejriwal/status/827362823936307200">February 3, 2017</a></blockquote>
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The AAP feels it is in with a chance in the Punjab polls, where it faces a triangular contest with the Congress and the incumbent SAD-BJP combine.&nbsp;

The AAP is hopeful of disturbing the ruling BJP&#39;s prospects in Goa as well.

(WION with inputs from PTI)

In a report to the poll body, the I-T department said the donation records prepared by the AAP do not match with the actual funds received

The Indian government's income-tax (I-T) department has submitted a report to the election commission which states that the audit reports prepared by the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) for donations of about Rs 27 crore do not match with the actual funds received by it from various donors. Officials said this could form the basis for the cancellation of tax exemptions given under the I-T Act to the AAP and could also follow a stringent action of deregistration of the party, but all such decisions were exclusively under the domain of the Election Commission, PTI reported. The report states that the records of donations made to the Arvind Kejriwal-led AAP during 2013-14 and 2014-15 are incorrect and have discrepancies, PTI reported. The department has been investigating the donations list of the party for over a year. Income Tax officials said the AAP treasurer had acknowledged "certain errors" in the records in their communication with the taxman, PTI reported. The officials said the alleged discrepancies in the donation records of the party were about Rs 27 crore. Parties prepare audit reports, in consultation with their chartered accountants, and submit a copy to the I-T department as per the law. The I-T report suggested that the violations were in contravention of tax laws that governed political donations as stipulated under the Income Tax Act, 1961. AAP chief and Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal alleged that it was a "dirty trick" by Prime Minister Narendra Modi to get the AAP deregistered because of fear of losing the state elections in Punjab and Goa, which begin tomorrow. "Modiji's dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to deregister the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator," he tweeted. Modiji's dirty tricks. Losing badly in Goa n Punjab, he tries to de-register the winning party 24 hrs before elections. Shameless dictator https://t.co/XMSdXj1OSg — Arvind Kejriwal (@ArvindKejriwal) February 3, 2017 × The AAP feels it is in with a chance in the Punjab polls, where it faces a triangular contest with the Congress and the incumbent SAD-BJP combine. The AAP is hopeful of disturbing the ruling BJP's prospects in Goa as well. (WION with inputs from PTI)

Aam Aadmi Party donation records inaccurate, could lead to deregistration by Election Commission: I-T department

The Election Commission today (January 29) ordered poll authorities in Goa to register a police complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his remarks about bribes made at a poll rally in the state.

The poll body also termed as &quot;scurrilous&quot; the AAP leader&#39;s claim that the Commission is encouraging bribery by restraining him from uttering such statements.

The poll body said the First Information Report (FIR)/complaint be lodged against the AAP leader under provisions of the Representation of the People Act dealing with bribing voters and relevant sections of the IPC.

&quot;Being Chief Minister of Delhi and a star campaigner of AAP in Goa, he is expected to conduct in an exemplary manner in election campaigns in a law abiding manner so as to be a role model for others to emulate but he has on several occasions again violated provisions of MCC by breaking his assurance to EC...

&quot;The Commission directs that necessary legal action be initiated by filing an FIR/complaint against Arvind Kejriwal for the statements...Compliance report in this regard should be sent to the Commission latest by 3.00 PM on January 31,&quot; the poll panel said.

The Commission recalled that it has censured Kejriwal for violating the provisions of MCC and expected him to be more circumspect in public utterances during election time.

&quot;Arvind Kejriwal has again written a letter... Stating therein that he is not abetting bribery by appealing to voters to accept money from any party but to vote in favour of Jharu (AAP)... He stated that the Commission is encouraging bribery by refraining him from uttering such statements.

&quot;These submissions being baseless and scurrilous are totally unjustified in the light of the provisions of law on bribery and are not acceptable to the Commission,&quot; the Commission said.

While directing the Chief Electoral Officer of Goa to lodge FIR/complaint against Kejriwal, the Commission also responded to his letter in which he had asked that he be allowed to raise issue of voters being bribed.

&quot;The Commission is quite concerned about your conduct, public utterances and demeanour. Even after being reprimanded by the Commission...You are still continuing with your statements of instigating voters to take money from other parties.

&quot;Instead of making wild allegations, you are most welcome to adduce any evidence of distribution of black money...,&quot; the letter to the AAP leader said.

The poll panel once again directed him &quot;not to indulge in making any further statements which directly or indirectly instigate voters&quot; in accepting money.

It warned of &quot;stern action&quot; if Kejriwal continued with his statements on the issue.

In a statement, the Aam Aadmi Party said the Election Commission has directed Kejriwal not to make any further statements in the reference to his bribery remarks.

The party said, the order &quot;does not convey that any criminal case has been registered against Kejriwal&quot;.

&quot;Rather it is being highlighted that section 171(b) which defines the offence of bribery in the Indian Penal Code and its punishment defined under Section 171(e) of IPC, is not only a non-cognizable offence, but is also bailable. So being a non-cognizable offence no FIR can be registered for this particular offence,&quot; the party said in a statement.

The party said Kejriwal&#39;s statement does not amount to any offence. &quot;We have decided to avail all legal remedies available after any order is communicated to us or comes to our notice,&quot; the party said.

The party hit out at the poll panel again, this time questioning its independence and targeting Election Commissioner A K Joti.

&quot;Election Commissioner Joti never worked outside Gujarat in his entire career. A 1975-batch IAS officer, Joti retired as chief secretary in January 2013. Is Election Commission impartial &amp; independent? One of the commissioners was chief secretary of Gujarat before he retired in 2013.

&quot;Within 24 hours of PM Modi dictating criticism of EC is not acceptable, EC orders registration of FIR against @ArvindKejriwal coincidence?&quot; Nagender Sharma, Media Advisor to Kejriwal, said in a series of tweets.

His tweets were retweeted by Kejriwal.&nbsp;

(PTI)

 
&nbsp;

The poll body also termed as "scurrilous" the AAP leader's claim that the Commission is encouraging bribery by restraining him

The Election Commission today (January 29) ordered poll authorities in Goa to register a police complaint against Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal for his remarks about bribes made at a poll rally in the state. The poll body also termed as "scurrilous" the AAP leader's claim that the Commission is encouraging bribery by restraining him from uttering such statements. The poll body said the First Information Report (FIR)/complaint be lodged against the AAP leader under provisions of the Representation of the People Act dealing with bribing voters and relevant sections of the IPC. "Being Chief Minister of Delhi and a star campaigner of AAP in Goa, he is expected to conduct in an exemplary manner in election campaigns in a law abiding manner so as to be a role model for others to emulate but he has on several occasions again violated provisions of MCC by breaking his assurance to EC... "The Commission directs that necessary legal action be initiated by filing an FIR/complaint against Arvind Kejriwal for the statements...Compliance report in this regard should be sent to the Commission latest by 3.00 PM on January 31," the poll panel said. The Commission recalled that it has censured Kejriwal for violating the provisions of MCC and expected him to be more circumspect in public utterances during election time. "Arvind Kejriwal has again written a letter... Stating therein that he is not abetting bribery by appealing to voters to accept money from any party but to vote in favour of Jharu (AAP)... He stated that the Commission is encouraging bribery by refraining him from uttering such statements. "These submissions being baseless and scurrilous are totally unjustified in the light of the provisions of law on bribery and are not acceptable to the Commission," the Commission said. While directing the Chief Electoral Officer of Goa to lodge FIR/complaint against Kejriwal, the Commission also responded to his letter in which he had asked that he be allowed to raise issue of voters being bribed. "The Commission is quite concerned about your conduct, public utterances and demeanour. Even after being reprimanded by the Commission...You are still continuing with your statements of instigating voters to take money from other parties. "Instead of making wild allegations, you are most welcome to adduce any evidence of distribution of black money...," the letter to the AAP leader said. The poll panel once again directed him "not to indulge in making any further statements which directly or indirectly instigate voters" in accepting money. It warned of "stern action" if Kejriwal continued with his statements on the issue. In a statement, the Aam Aadmi Party said the Election Commission has directed Kejriwal not to make any further statements in the reference to his bribery remarks. The party said, the order "does not convey that any criminal case has been registered against Kejriwal". "Rather it is being highlighted that section 171(b) which defines the offence of bribery in the Indian Penal Code and its punishment defined under Section 171(e) of IPC, is not only a non-cognizable offence, but is also bailable. So being a non-cognizable offence no FIR can be registered for this particular offence," the party said in a statement. The party said Kejriwal's statement does not amount to any offence. "We have decided to avail all legal remedies available after any order is communicated to us or comes to our notice," the party said. The party hit out at the poll panel again, this time questioning its independence and targeting Election Commissioner A K Joti. "Election Commissioner Joti never worked outside Gujarat in his entire career. A 1975-batch IAS officer, Joti retired as chief secretary in January 2013. Is Election Commission impartial & independent? One of the commissioners was chief secretary of Gujarat before he retired in 2013. "Within 24 hours of PM Modi dictating criticism of EC is not acceptable, EC orders registration of FIR against @ArvindKejriwal coincidence?" Nagender Sharma, Media Advisor to Kejriwal, said in a series of tweets. His tweets were retweeted by Kejriwal. (PTI)

Election Commission orders police complaint against Delhi chief minister for bribe remarks

By Sumit Kumar Singh

The foreign visits of Delhi&#39;s ruling Aam Aadmi Party&#39;s (AAP)&nbsp;ministers and bureaucrats are now under the glare of the Comptroller and Auditor General&#39;s (CAG) office, which has started an audit of the expenditure on these trips.

The central auditing body has sent a missive to the Delhi finance, general administrative and urban development departments, seeking details of the foreign trips of babus and ministers. The auditing body also asked the &quot;purpose of the visit&quot; and &quot;cost to the government exchequer&quot;. It has also sought explanations on how the trip was fruitful in terms of the &quot;development&quot; and &quot;governance&quot; in the city.

Sources in the Delhi secretariat told DNA: &quot;The letter was marked to the principal secretary and secretaries of these departments.&quot; The auditing body has sought information regarding the Lieutenant Governor&#39;s approval regarding the foreign trips made by bureaucrats and ministers.

In the last 18 months, AAP ministers have made 10 foreign trips, with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia alone making six foreign trips &mdash; one in every three months. Sisodia has incurred an expenditure of over Rs 30.73 lakh ($3.07 million) for three foreign trips.

Sources said that Sisodia had travelled to Athens, Finland and Sao Paulo. The Delhi deputy chief minister went to Sao Paulo from August 11 to August 15 in 2015, to attend a one-day conference, but spent two days in Rio de Janeiro before the conference and had taken a two-day break after the conference to visit the Igiazu falls and Argentina.

Sources said the issue of foreign trips came under public scrutiny last year after when the first dengue death was reported in the capital. That time, Sisodia was out of the country. He was in Finland from September 11 to September 17 in 2016, when Delhi witnessed the worst crisis of dengue and chikungunya cases.

Sisodia also went to Berlin to attend the German Habitat Forum, but extended his trip to visit Amsterdam and Paris as well.

Similarly, health minister Satyendra Jain made the maximum trips in a year &ndash; three -- incurring an expenditure of Rs 18 lakh ($1.8 million). Jain also accompanied Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to Rome for two days for the canonization of Mother Teresa from September 3 to September 5, 2016, at a cost of Rs 13.5 lakh ($1.35 million).

In October 2015, a 10-member delegation of AAP, including ministers Gopal Rai and Jain, visited Sweden. The vice-chairman of Delhi Dialogue Commission, Ashish Khetan, also went to Manchester in United Kingdom in March, 2016, with Jain.

Earlier, former Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung had directed the state government&#39;s General Administration Department to furnish details about foreign visits by ministers, their personal staff and other officials to carry out an inquiry.

The inquiry was conducted after Jung called back Sisodia from Finland. In fact, most of the Delhi cabinet was out of town at a time when the capital was reeling from dengue and chikungunya.

(This article first appeared in DNA)

In the last 18 months, AAP ministers have made 10 foreign trips. Deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia has made six

By Sumit Kumar Singh The foreign visits of Delhi's ruling Aam Aadmi Party's (AAP) ministers and bureaucrats are now under the glare of the Comptroller and Auditor General's (CAG) office, which has started an audit of the expenditure on these trips. The central auditing body has sent a missive to the Delhi finance, general administrative and urban development departments, seeking details of the foreign trips of babus and ministers. The auditing body also asked the "purpose of the visit" and "cost to the government exchequer". It has also sought explanations on how the trip was fruitful in terms of the "development" and "governance" in the city. Sources in the Delhi secretariat told DNA: "The letter was marked to the principal secretary and secretaries of these departments." The auditing body has sought information regarding the Lieutenant Governor's approval regarding the foreign trips made by bureaucrats and ministers. In the last 18 months, AAP ministers have made 10 foreign trips, with deputy chief minister Manish Sisodia alone making six foreign trips — one in every three months. Sisodia has incurred an expenditure of over Rs 30.73 lakh ($3.07 million) for three foreign trips. Sources said that Sisodia had travelled to Athens, Finland and Sao Paulo. The Delhi deputy chief minister went to Sao Paulo from August 11 to August 15 in 2015, to attend a one-day conference, but spent two days in Rio de Janeiro before the conference and had taken a two-day break after the conference to visit the Igiazu falls and Argentina. Sources said the issue of foreign trips came under public scrutiny last year after when the first dengue death was reported in the capital. That time, Sisodia was out of the country. He was in Finland from September 11 to September 17 in 2016, when Delhi witnessed the worst crisis of dengue and chikungunya cases. Sisodia also went to Berlin to attend the German Habitat Forum, but extended his trip to visit Amsterdam and Paris as well. Similarly, health minister Satyendra Jain made the maximum trips in a year – three -- incurring an expenditure of Rs 18 lakh ($1.8 million). Jain also accompanied Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal to Rome for two days for the canonization of Mother Teresa from September 3 to September 5, 2016, at a cost of Rs 13.5 lakh ($1.35 million). In October 2015, a 10-member delegation of AAP, including ministers Gopal Rai and Jain, visited Sweden. The vice-chairman of Delhi Dialogue Commission, Ashish Khetan, also went to Manchester in United Kingdom in March, 2016, with Jain. Earlier, former Lieutenant-Governor Najeeb Jung had directed the state government's General Administration Department to furnish details about foreign visits by ministers, their personal staff and other officials to carry out an inquiry. The inquiry was conducted after Jung called back Sisodia from Finland. In fact, most of the Delhi cabinet was out of town at a time when the capital was reeling from dengue and chikungunya. (This article first appeared in DNA)

India's top audit authority questions foreign visits of Aam Aadmi Party ministers

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