Women are leading anti-Cititzenship Act protests at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh.
The BJP on Thursday accused the Aam Aadmi Party of "sponsoring" anti-Citizenship Amendment Act protests, including the one at Delhi's Shaheen Bagh and running a "proxy campaign" through the protesters, as it urged the Election Commission to include expenses incurred on these demonstrations in the expenditure of AAP candidates.
A BJP delegation, which included Union ministers Harsh Vardhan and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, submitted a memorandum to the poll body, seeking appointment of an independent election expenditure observer to enquire into the matter and take appropriate action, party general secretary Bhupender Yadav said.
The party claimed that all the "acts at such sponsored public protests" is meant to improve the electoral prospects of AAP candidates and "harm" their BJP rivals. It also submitted "evidence", which included news reports and a CD containing comments of Aam Aadmi Party leaders, to the Election Commission.
"Arvind Kejriwal, Manish Sisodia, Amanatullah Khan and many other leaders of the AAP have been openly supporting the protests because they are conducting the election campaign under the garb of aforesaid rallies," it said, referring to anti-Citizenship (Amendment) Act protests in the capital.
Mr Yadav cited comments of these leaders in which they allegedly backed these protestors to make his point.
The BJP also urged the Election Commission to appoint an independent observer to keep an eye on the "rapid pace" at which these protests are spreading throughout Delhi due to the "irresponsible" remarks of AAP leaders.
"In the process, the whole environment of Delhi has been poisoned by several such motivated protests seeking to benefit the AAP by acting as its proxy," it added.
The AAP and the BJP are locked in a keen battle for the February 8 elections to the Delhi assembly. The BJP is pulling out all the stops to oust the AAP from power.