The Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) on Wednesday alleged the Bharatiya Janata Party was conspiring to tarnish the image of Arvind Kejriwal. AAP’s allegation comes a day after the Election Commission issued a notice to Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over alleged disparaging remarks against Prime Minister Narendra Modi from the party’s social media handle.

“ Through a letter, we have requested the Election Commission to give us time, our delegation wants to meet EC, we want to speak about how BJP is conspiring to tarnish the image of our star campaigner and AAP Convener Arvind Kejriwal by character assassination…derogatory and slanderous campaign should not be run”, AAP MP Raghav Chadha said in a briefing.

“The BJP has been running a misleading, defamatory campaign against Kejriwal. The Delhi BJP’s handle on X shared a post on November 5 and it was also posted by the party’s official handles in the election-bound states of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh,” Chadha had added.

The poll panel acted on a complaint by the BJP over AAP’s social media posts alleging a link between PM Modi and industrialist Gautam Adani. “The present alleged matter has been found to be posted from the handle of the Aam Aadmi Party itself, which being a national party is expected to exercise caution through verification of facts before publishing and disseminating such content in public domain,” the EC had said.

The poll panel has summoned Kejriwal to make an explanation regarding the social media post and also explain why no appropriate action should not be taken against him for violation of model code of conduct be taken against him.