‘This Is Shocking’: Delhi’s Lieutenant Governor And AAP Leaders Spar Over Claims Of Voting Disruptions – News18

The night before the sixth phase of Lok Sabha elections, Delhi Lieutenant Governor (LG) V K Saxena and leaders of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) clashed over allegations of voter disruption.

In a post on social media, AAP Minister Atishi alleged that the Delhi LG had instructed the police to slow down voting in areas with a large number of opposition voters. Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal responded to Atishi’s post, calling the allegation “shocking” and urged the Election Commission of India to ensure smooth voting.

“Information has been received that today@LtGovDelhi has ordered Delhi Police to slow down the voting in those areas where there are a large number of INDIA alliance voters so that people do not face difficulty in casting their votes. Any such attempt by the administration to make the BJP win is illegal, undemocratic and unconstitutional. And I hope the Election Commission will take cognizance of this, and stop any such attempt,” the AAP leader said.

‘Strict action will be taken’

Strongly responding to the allegations, the LG’s office accused the AAP of planning to disrupt voting and blamed it on the central government. They claimed that Kejriwal had ordered power and water cuts to create trouble for voters. The LG instructed officials not to follow these orders and accused Kejriwal of trying to deceive the people of Delhi.

“I have taken a stern view of this unwarranted & false statement on the eve of election against a constitutional authority by a Minister, endorsed by you,” the Delhi LG wrote on X. “This impropriety is unacceptable & these typically absurd & concocted claims are a deliberate design to subvert democracy by misleading voters. Strict action will be taken.”

Later, the LG slammed Atishi’s statement as unwarranted and false, stressing the seriousness of making such allegations against a constitutional authority. Earlier, the Delhi Jal Board (DJB) issued a statement asserting its readiness to meet the water needs of residents. This came amid ongoing tensions between the AAP government and the LG’s office over water supply issues in the city. Last month, Atishi had written to the LG seeking the suspension of the DJB CEO following a tragic incident in East Delhi where a woman was allegedly killed during a dispute over water filling. In response, the LG penned an open letter to Kejriwal, describing the incident as a failure of the government.

Explore in-depth coverage of Lok Sabha Election 2024 Schedule, Voter Turnout, Upcoming Phase And Much More At News18 Website