FIR filed against BJP's Parvesh Verma for distributing shoes
What's the story
A complaint has been filed against Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Parvesh Verma for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct in New Delhi Assembly Constituency. The complaint stems from an incident where Verma was allegedly seen distributing shoes to voters within the Valmiki Temple premises. The complaint was filed by returning officer OP Pandey based on a WhatsApp message by advocate Rajnish Bhaskar, which contained two videos purportedly showing Verma distributing shoes to women voters.
Evidence presented
Complaint based on videos of alleged misconduct
In his official complaint, Pandey wrote, "The complainant has forwarded two videos wherein Shri Parvesh Sahib Singh Verma is seen distributing shoes to women." Pandey emphasized that under Section 123 of the Representation of People Act, 1951, giving gifts or promises by a candidate or their agent amounts to corrupt practices. He has demanded an immediate probe into this and sought a report on action taken for this alleged violation.
Twitter Post
AAP shares video of Verma allegedly distributing shoes
क्या चुनाव आयोग को लोकतंत्र की हत्या होती हुई नहीं दिख रही⁉️
— AAP (@AamAadmiParty) January 15, 2025
एकतरफ़ नई दिल्ली विधानसभा से बीजेपी उम्मीदवार प्रवेश वर्मा खुलेआम सड़कों पर जूते बांट रहे। उसका फोटो और Video बनवा रहे। वहीं दूसरी तरफ़ जिला निर्वाचन अधिकारी (DM) कह रहे हैं कि ऐसा कुछ हो ही नहीं रहा है।
खुलेआम आचार… pic.twitter.com/BQ8lFAi299
Potential violation
Legal implications of the alleged misconduct
Verma is pitted against Aam Aadmi Party's Arvind Kejriwal and Congress's Sandeep Dikshit in the New Delhi constituency. Last week, Kejriwal met with the Election Commission and alleged that some politicians were distributing goods in the national capital's Kidwai Nagar. After the meeting, he said the Election Commission assured him that these activities would be stopped. The Delhi assembly elections will be held in a single phase on February 5, with vote counting taking place on February 8.