PANAJI: Warning the Aam Aadmi Party with dire consequences, if it continues its “unethical” electoral campaign for the forthcoming state assembly election by defaming the Bharatiya Janata Party and its leaders, the BJP on Monday said that the legal cell of its election management committee has already filed a complaint against defamatory propaganda of AAP, with the state Chief Electoral Officer Kunal.
Addressing a press conference at the city election office of the party, Atmaram Barve, representing the particular cell, informed that the said complaint has been filed against the state AAP president as well as the national president/ convener of the party under Sections 499, 500 and 504 of Indian Penal Code.
“AAP, with the help of its borrowed workers had earlier put up a banner defaming the Chief Minister Laxmikant Parsekar by questioning his integrity against the so-called credibility of that party’s chief ministerial candidate Elvis Gomes,” Barve added, maintaining that the banner was subsequently removed after filing a complaint with the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer. “However, now AAP has put up such posters in nook and corner of Goa, which has forced us to re-lodge the complaint,” he noted.
“The BJP is a cadre-based party and hence believes in democratic process, due to which our workers are still silent over the matter,” Barve said, warning that if such things continues in the future, then the BJP workers would teach a befitting lesson to whoever is responsible.
The complaint signed by Barve and Pranav Sanvordekar stated that Aam Aadmi Party is willfully trying to defame, disregard and denigrate the stature of the office of the Chief Minister of Goa. “Moreover the said party is also willfully trying to create turbulence and tension ahead of the forthcoming polls,” it adds, requesting the office of the state Chief Electoral Officer to take immediate action in the matter so as to avoid any law and order situation arising out of the particular issue.
Barve further informed that the BJP is currently studying the verdict of the Supreme Court, which states that seeking votes in the name of religion, caste, race, community or language during polls is illegal, and amounts to corrupt practices under electoral laws.
When asked if the BJP would keep a close watch on the electoral campaign of the Goa Suraksha Manch, whose main issue for the forthcoming state assembly election is withdrawing government grants to English primary schools, and hence pertains to language, Barve said that the BJP would soon come out with its stand on this
matter.