Row over EC 'raid' at Mann's residence

How the events transpired

- HT Correspondent

NEW DELHI: High drama unfolded at Kapurthala House, a Punjab government property where the state's chief minister stays during his visits to Delhi, on Thursday evening when an Election Commission of India's flying surveillance team (FST) arrived to conduct a search following a complaint of "money distribution" filed on poll body's cVIGIL app.

The operation, carried out less than a week before polling in Delhi, triggered a fierce war of words between the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) and the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP).

Punjab CM Bhagwant Mann alleged that the raid was politically motivated, while the AAP slammed the move as "BJP's hooliganism," accusing ECI of ignoring "blatant violations by the BJP" while subjecting Punjab's chief minister to an "insult".

ECI defended the operation, stating it was following protocol, and stated that the search could not be conducted as the rooms in the premises were locked.

The BJP alleged that complaints regarding "large-scale cash distribution from Kapurthala House" had led to the operation. It alleged that Punjab Police manhandled ECI officials, who were allowed to enter after three hours.

The controversy began when the FST, accompanied by Delhi Police, reached Kapurthala House at around 4.15pm to act on what is said was a complaint raised on cVIGIL. The app, open to the public, allows citizens to report Model Code of Conduct (MCC) violations. ECI did not disclose the identity of the complainant.