The Election Commission on Saturday directed the Delhi Police to file a first information report against Bharatiya Janata Party’s candidate Gautam Gambhir for holding a political rally without permission, reports said. Gambhir, who joined the BJP earlier last month, has been fielded from East Delhi constituency for the Lok Sabha elections.
Gambhir had reportedly not taken permission for his rally on Thursday in Jangpura area of Delhi. The returning officer of the East Delhi constituency asked the police to file a case against Gambhir for violating the Model Code of Conduct.
“We have received a complaint from the Election Commission on Friday against Gautam Gambhir for conducting a meeting on Thursday in Lajpat Nagar,” Deputy Commission of Police (Southeast) Chinmoy Biswal told The Indian Express. “We took action under Delhi Police Act and filed a Kalandara against him after issuing challan.”
The development comes a day after Gambhir’s East Delhi opponent, Aam Aadmi Party candidate Atishi Marlena, had filed a criminal complaint against him, claiming that he is registered as a voter in two constituencies. Marlena had filed the case in the metropolitan magistrate’s court in Delhi, seeking a police investigation against Gambhir. She presented documents to show that Gambhir was a voter from both Karol Bagh and Rajinder Nagar Assembly constituencies of Delhi.
She claimed that while filing his nomination, Gambhir had concealed this fact, “perhaps because he feared that the same would disqualify him from contesting elections”. In his nomination papers, the cricketer-turned-politician said he was a voter from Rajinder Nagar constituency.
On Saturday, Marlena took a jibe at Gambhir after reports of case against him. “First, discrepancies in nomination papers,” she said on Twitter. “Then, Criminal offence of having 2 voter IDs. Now, FIR for illegal rally. My question to Gautam Gambhir: When you don’t know the rules, why play the game?”
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