BJP looks into options to sue AAP for TV ad

Launching a scathing attack on Delhi chief minister Arvind Kejriwal over his latest television commercial, the Delhi BJP on Friday said that it is looking into legal aspects of filing a contempt petition against Mr Kejriwal.

Delhi BJP chief Satish Upadhyay said that the legal cell of the party was looking into modalities of filing a court case against Mr Kejriwal over his latest TV commercial. “We are in constant touch with our legal team and are looking into aspects of filing a legal suit against the Delhi chief minister and Aam Aadmi supremo Arvind Kejriwal, who very evidently flouted the Supreme Court guidelines,” said Mr Upadhyay.

Leader of Opposition in Delhi Assembly Vijender Gupta said that the TV commercial is clear violation of the Supreme Court’s order. “The CM’s act is ‘unethical’ and amounts to encouraging people to violate the law,” Mr Gupta claimed. “Technical arguments that the face is not visible won’t cut ice. As a citizen he has not set a good example,” he added.

The Delhi government has come up with a new TV advertisement, wherein a human figure is seen wearing Mr Kejriwal’s trademark sweater with a muffler wrapped around head and neck and addressing the people. However, the person’s face is not seen in a single frame.

The chief minister’s phone-wielding TV advertisement sings praises of Delhiites for making the ‘odd-even’ car curbs a success. No mention of Mr Kejriwal is in the video due to a Supreme Court ruling in May last year, directing political parties not to use photos of politicians in government-funded advertisements.

Describing “personality cult” as anti-thesis of democracy, the Supreme Court had barred publication of photos of leaders in government advertisements except those of the President, Prime Minister and the Chief Justice of India.