The Delhi Police on Wednesday filed an FIR against Parvesh Verma, a BJP candidate from the New Delhi assembly constituency Parvesh Verma for allegedly violating the Model Code of Conduct (MCC) by distributing shoes in the Valmiki colony in the Mandir Marg Police Station area. The FIR was lodged after the Election Commission wrote to the Mandir Marg SHO regarding the incident.
The returning officer of the New Delhi Assembly constituency wrote a letter dated January 15 to the SHO. In it, he said that the complaint had shared two purported videos in which Verma could be seen distributing shoes to the women of the constituency.
Based on the complaint, the RO directed the SHO to initiate an investigation and lodge an FIR. Parvesh Verma is contesting from the New Delhi seat against AAP national convenor and former CM Arvind Kejriwal. The New Delhi assembly seat is set for a trilateral contest as Congress has pitted senior party leader Sandeep Dikshit, son of former Delhi CM Sheila Dikshit.
Earlier on Monday, the ECI asked Delhi police to take action against Verma on Aam Aadmi Party's complaints. The development came after an AAP delegation headed by Delhi Chief Minister Atishi, her Punjab counterpart Bagwant Mann, AAP national convenor Arvind Kejriwal, MP Sanjay Singh and others met the Election Commissioner, seeking action against Verma. AAP alleged that the BJP leader is involved in the manipulation of the voter list in the New Delhi constitution.
Verma was also accused of AAP of distributing cash to the voters. Back then, Kejriwal had slammed Verma for distributing Rs 1,100 to women in New Delhi, saying his father would have been ashamed of him for a "traitor" son like him. The AAP also filed a complaint against Verma with the Enforcement Directorate (ED), alleging that cash was being distributed in Kejriwal's constituency ahead of polls. The party demanded that the agency register a case of money laundering against Verma.
Verma maintained that the money was given to women by the social organisation Rashtriya Swabhiman, founded by his father Sahib Singh Verma. He said he would continue to help the needy women.
(With inputs from Sonu)