Delhi: EC clarifies on alleged raid at Punjab CM's Kapurthala residence, Returning Officer says search not conducted

New Delhi [India], January 30 (ANI): The New Delhi district unit of the Election Commission of India (ECI) on Thursday issued a clarification amid allegations of raids being conducted at Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann's Kapurthala House in the national capital. The commission stated that the Flying Squad Team (FST) was assigned to investigate a complaint received via the 'cVIGIL' application.
The cVIGIL app allows citizens to report alleged violations of the Model Code of Conduct (MCC), requiring appropriate action within a stipulated 100-minute time frame.
"This is to clarify the actions taken in response to cVIGIL Complaint ID 1282744 regarding the alleged distribution of cash at Kapurthala House, New Delhi which falls under jurisdiction of AC-40, New Delhi," the district election office posted on X.
"Upon receiving the complaint, the FST promptly reached the location of the alleged violation at Kapurthala House. However, the team is not being permitted by the security personnel to enter the premises to verify the complaint," the post further read.
Returning Officer of New Delhi constituency, OP Pandey, tated that the search could not be conducted as the doors of the rooms were locked.
"We were told that we can check the periphery here (Kapurthala House). There were locks on the doors of the rooms. We are going back now. Search could not be conducted," Pandey told reporters outside Kapurthala House.
Meanwhile, Punjab CM alleged that a team from the Election Commission, accompanied by Delhi Police, came to conduct a raid at his Kapurthala House residence. He accused the poll panel of overlooking the "open money distribution by BJP people."
In a post on X, Mann alleged that Delhi Police and Election Commission were defaming Punjabis at the behest of the BJP.
"Today, a team of Election Commission team along with Delhi Police has come to conduct a raid at my residence Kapurthala House in Delhi. BJP people are openly distributing money in Delhi but Delhi Police and Election Commission are seeing this. No action is being taken on all this. In a way, Delhi Police and Election Commission, at the behest of BJP, are defaming Punjabis, which is very condemnable," Mann posted on X.
Delhi Chief Minister Atishi had earlier claimed that Delhi Police had reached Kapurthala House, where Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann stays during his visits to the national capital, but sources in the Election Commission had said that no such raid has been conducted.
Election Commission sources had earlier said that the poll panel has not conducted any raid on the Delhi residence of Punjab Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann, the Kapurthala House.
Returning Officer Pandey later said they received a complaint about money distribution.
"We have to dispose of the complaint in 100 minutes. Our FST had come here which was not allowed to enter. I have come here to request them to let us enter along with a cameraperson. We will come back after an enquiry. The complaint of money distribution was received on the cVIGIL app," Pandey said when asked about the purpose of the visit.
He said any citizen can make such a complaint.
AAP leader and former Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia accused the Election Commission of double standards.
"The EC is not seeing the distribution of cash, saree and other things (being done by the BJP)...The EC conducts fake raids and spreads false rumours among people...People should check the facts..."
AAP leader Durgesh Pathak said people are with the ruling party in Delhi.
"We got to know that Delhi Police, ECI is conducting a raid at the residence of Punjab CM (Kapurthala House). The whole world can see how BJP is openly distributing money but ECI can't see it. The public is with us," he said.
Security was also deployed outside Kapurthala House, the official residence of Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann in Delhi. (ANI)