EC notice to Manish Sisodia says tweet clarifying AAP leader Atishi’s religion violates poll code; reply sought by 8 May

New Delhi: Poll authorities in Delhi Tuesday issued a show-cause notice to AAP leader and Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia over an alleged violation of model code of conduct in connection with his recent tweet, and asked him to give a response by Wednesday evening. [caption id=“attachment_4912061” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  File image of Delhi deputy chief minister, Manish Sisodia. PTI[/caption] The notice has been issued by East Delhi Returning Officer K Mahesh on the basis of a complaint lodged on 28 April by the BJP Delhi unit. On 27 April, Sisodia had tweeted in support of AAP East Delhi candidate Atishi and hit out at her detractors who had raised controversy over her last name and religion. In a tweet in Hindi, the deputy chief minister had alleged that both the BJP and the Congress were “spreading lies” about her religion. “Her full name is Atishi Singh. She is a Rajputani. A full-fledged Chhatrani. A Jhansi ki Rani. Beware. She will win and script history,” Sisodia had tweeted.

मुझे दुःख है कि बीजेपी और कांग्रेस मिलकर हमारी पूर्वी दिल्ली की प्रत्याशी @AtishiAAP के धर्म को लेकर झूँठ फैला रहे है.

बीजेपी और कांग्रेस वालो! जान लो- 'आतिशी सिंह' है उसका पूरा नाम. राजपूतानी है. पक्की क्षत्राणी...झाँसी की रानी है. बच के रहना. जीतेगी भी और इतिहास भी बनाएगी.

— Manish Sisodia (@msisodia) April 27, 2019

The tweet “appears to be in violation of Point (I) Annexure-I of the Manual on Mode Code of Conduct..,” the notice read. “Now, therefore, you are directed to furnish your comments on the above matter before the undersigned by 5 pm on 8 May, 2019 otherwise it will be presumed that you have nothing to say,” it stated.