AAP leaders meet Delhi Police over harassment of call centre employees hired by party

AAP leaders Atishi Marlena and Raghav Chadha on Wednesday reached a police station in south-east Delhi to register their protest against alleged harassment of call centre employees hired by the party to inform citizens about voter deletion. 

Ahead of the Lok Sabha polls scheduled to begin on April 11, the Election Commission had directed the police to take "necessary action" against people making "misleading" phone calls about the city's electoral rolls. An FIR was also filed in this matter.

A BJP team also held a meeting with Chief Election Commissioner Sunil Arora and alleged that the AAP was behind such phone calls.

Meanwhile, the AAP leaders asserted that they were responsible for hiring the call centre employees and the police should question the leaders instead of these workers.

Speaking from the police station in south-east Delhi, Chadha asserted, "If the BJP wants to fight us, we dare them to arrest us. Rajya Sabha MP Sanjay Singh, myself and various MLAs are present here and if they consider that getting voters reinstated is a crime, then they must arrest us." 

"If the BJP thinks they can intimidate and threaten those who work with us and shut down our awareness campaign, they are mistaken and we will not let it happen. Why are they intimidating the vendors? What is their fault? When somebody protests, arrest the protesters, but why arrest the man setting up the tent?" he said.

"It is a crime to illegally and unlawfully get a registered voter's name deleted from the electoral roll, snatching away their democratic rights. The BJP will pay for this crime. But creating awareness and getting the deleted names reinstated is certainly not a crime," Chadha added.