Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal has once again mustered controversy around himself and his Aam Aadmi Party (AAP). This time a court in Sagar, Madhya Pradesh gave permission to lodge an FIR against Arvind Kejriwal and AAP workers for allegedly disrespecting the national flag of India. Separate cases will be registered in Sagar, Bina, Khurai and Delhi.
The FIR order from the honourable court came in wake of the petition, which was filed in 2015 by advocate Rajendra Mishra. Mishra claimed that during the campaigning for the 2014 general elections, Kejriwal and AAP workers carried the national flag along with a broom, which is also their party’s symbol. In his petition, Mishra claimed that the AAP workers first swept the floor with brooms and later held them with the tricolour.
As per Representation of People Act, 1951, political parties cannot use the national flag in their campaigns.
Arvind Kejriwal is the National Convener of the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and Chief Minister of Delhi since February 15, 2015. He previously won the election in December 2013 and stayed as the chief minister for 49 days before stepping down due to lack of support from other political parties in passing the anti-corruption legislation. However, the fake promises have led the party towards doomsday. The party contested in Goa Legislative Assembly election in 2017 but lost all the seats and failed to save deposits of 38 out of 39 seats on which it’s candidates contested.
The Delhi CM is facing a number of defamation cases against many personalities. Kejriwal has been accused of seeking to pay the charges of his “personal” legal battle against Union Finance Minister Arun Jaitley from the taxpayers’ money. The one-man centric party is often accused of nepotism as Kejriwal invited another controversy by appointing party leader Naveen Jaihind’s wife Swati Maliwal as the chief of Delhi Commission for Women (DCW).
This is not the first time Aam Aadmi Party has flouted the rules which were for the national integrity. A similar complaint was lodged in 2014 by BJP with Chief Electoral Officer of Delhi against AAP Leader Rakhi Birla, for the use of national flag on her cap while campaigning.
The Court gave its decision to lodge FIR after 5 years and Arvind Kejriwal’s problems in the election year is increasing multifolds. After the failed performance of AAP in the recent assembly elections, this Lok Sabha election is going to be a tough call for the Chief Minister of Delhi. No comments and remarks came on the court order from the spokesperson as well as the party head who are always ready to spill venom on the centre and the ruling party. However, Arvind Kejriwal took part in the rally organised by Mamata Banerjee today. “If Modi-Shah come back in 2019, they will destroy this country. They will break the country to pieces. They will do what Hitler did, they will change the constitution, they will abolish elections. We need to uproot them,” said Arvind Kejriwal, who himself is accused of unnecessarily raking up a controversy over alleged use rigged EVMs during assembly election.