"Serious thing if you are using an (official) vehicle": Sandeep Dikshit slams Atishi

New Delhi [India], January 14 (ANI): The violation of the Model Code of Conduct is a "serious" issue, former minister and Congress candidate from New Delhi Assembly constituency Sandeep Dikshit said on Tuesday said after an FIR was filed against Delhi Chief Minister Atishi for allegedly using government vehicle for election campaigning.
Dikshit also accused the BJP of "violating" the Model Code of Conduct and urged the Election Commission of India to take action.
"This is a serious thing if you are using an (official) vehicle, Model Code of Conduct variation will be applied to you, other parties might have done it too but that doesn't mean that you should do it too. BJP is violating Model Code of Conduct in various places. Election Commission take action against this as well like they take action against other parties," Dikshit said.
Earlier in the day, an FIR was filed against the AAP leader Atishi for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct by using a government vehicle for political purposes in the Kalkaji constituency, from where she is contesting the assembly polls.
Police said that a complaint was received regarding a violation of MCC. The FIR was registered at the Govindpuri police station in southeast Delhi following a complaint submitted by the returning officer of the Kalkaji assembly constituency, officials said on Tuesday.
According to the FIR, the District Election Officer, South-East Delhi, received a complaint on January 8, 2025, alleging that Delhi Chief Minister Atishi used a government vehicle in her political campaign, which is prohibited under the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) during election periods.
The complaint specifically mentioned the vehicle, which belongs to the Public Works Department (PWD) under the Government of National Capital Territory of Delhi (GNCTD), being used for political purposes.
According to the letter from the General Administration Department (GAD), GNCTD, dated January 7, 2025, the use of government vehicles for campaigning or election-related activities is strictly prohibited during elections. The letter also stated that such actions would invite legal consequences under section 223 of the BNS.
Despite these actions, Atishi claimed, the Election Commission had failed to take action against Parvesh Verma, sparking doubts about the fairness of the commission's decisions.
The Delhi assembly polls will be held in a single phase on February 5 and the counting of votes will take place on February 8. (ANI)