The court's directive comes amid heightened political tensions as the Bharatiya Janata Party seeks to regain control of Delhi after nearly three decades. Both the BJP and AAP have been actively promoting their welfare initiatives to garner voter support. The BJP has recently announced a series of handouts, including monthly payments to poor women and pensions for the elderly, aiming to counter AAP's decade-long governance marked by free water and electricity programs for the underprivileged.
In a related development, the Election Commission had previously cautioned the public about misleading phone calls claiming that their names had been deleted from the electoral rolls. The Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi clarified that only the electoral registration officer has the authority to add or remove names from the rolls and urged citizens to verify such claims through official channels.
The BJP has accused AAP of orchestrating these calls to mislead voters. They presented audio evidence where callers, identifying themselves as AAP representatives, alleged that the BJP had removed 3 million names from the electoral rolls. The BJP has called for strict action against those responsible for these alleged misinformation campaigns.
In response, AAP has denied the allegations, asserting that their outreach efforts are aimed at informing voters about potential discrepancies in the electoral rolls. AAP leaders have accused the BJP of attempting to suppress voter turnout by creating confusion and have criticized the Election Commission for acting under political pressure.
The Election Commission has requested the Delhi Police to investigate the matter thoroughly to ascertain the facts and take necessary action under relevant laws. The police have initiated a probe, questioning call center employees associated with AAP regarding the nature of the calls made to Delhi residents.