Delhi BJP Alleges Election Code Violation By Arvind Kejriwal

Barely two days ahead of the high-stakes civic polls here, the BJP's Delhi unit on Friday alleged a Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violation by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and lodged a complaint with the State Election Commission.

The alleged MCC violation took place at an event -- 'Dilli ki Yogshala: Yog Prashikon ko Samman Rashi Ka Vitran' -- attended by Kejriwal and his deputy Manish Sisodia at Constitution Club.

Following the complaint, the poll panel has written to the New Delhi District Election Officer (DEO), saying the event had been brought to the commission's notice.

"In this regard, it is to inform that that no such permission has been obtained from the State Election Commission and if any permission has been obtained from the State Election Commission and if any permission had been granted from district level, the same may be checked and it must be ensured that that there is no violation of MCC under any circumstances," reads the letter.

After verifying all the facts related to the event, immediate action must be taken and an action taken report submitted by today itself, it said.

In case there is a violation of the MCC then necessary "legal action" should be taken against the violators, it added. Earlier in the day, the BJP's Delhi unit election campaign committee convener Ashish Sood told reporters that a case should be registered against Kejriwal for violating the MCC.

Municipal Corporation of Delhi polls are due on December 4 and votes will be counted on December 7.

"The Delhi Chief Minister openly violated the Model Code of Conduct in the programme. He organised the programme without any permission, for distributing cheques from foreign NGOs in the Constitution Club," Sood alleged.

Sood had also demanded action against the district magistrate concerned for "not taking action" to stop the programme for "MCC violation".

Addressing a gathering at the event, Kejriwal said free yoga classes in the city would continue irrespective of the availability of funds and hoped that the scheme would soon "be run again" the way it had started.

Many donors in Delhi have come forward to financially sustain the scheme by offering to pay an honorarium to many yoga instructors.

Some of the donors handed over cheques (honorarium) to instructors at the event in the presence of Kejriwal and his deputy.

The AAP dispensation had alleged last month that the Delhi LG did not allow an extension of the 'Dilli Ki Yogshala' programme after October 31, a charge denied by sources in the Lieutenant Governor's Office, claiming till date no file related to the extension of the scheme was sent to it by the Chief Minister's Office.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)