BJP's demand: Add Shaheen Bagh stir cost to AAP poll expenses

New Delhi: The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) here on Thursday urged the Election Commission to add to the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) poll account the expenses incurred in organising protests against new citizenship law at Shaheen Bagh in the national capital.

Referring to the Election Commission rules that state that if any organisation or party helps any third party in an election, in such a situation the poll panel has the right to add the expenses of the third party to that party, a BJP delegation, led by party General Secretary Bhupendra Yadav, met the Election Commission and raised the issue.

"We have submitted a CD (compact disc) of statements of Manish Sisodia, Amanatullah Khan and other AAP leaders to the poll panel. In the CD, the AAP leaders can be seen speaking about lending support to the Shaheen Bagh protests.

"When the AAP leaders are accepting this, it means the party is sponsoring this dharna," Yadav said.

Thus, under the third party publicity spending rules, the expenses of protests should be added to the account of AAP candidates, he said.