Headlines
Bribe remark was to help EC curb bribery: Kejriwal
New Delhi, Jan 24
Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief
Arvind Kejriwal Saturday told the Election Commission (EC) that by
asking voters to accept money from political parties he was actually
helping the poll panel to curb bribery incidents.
Replying to the
EC's notice for allegedly inducing voters to accept bribe, the former
Delhi chief minister said he could not dream of doing that.
Kejriwal,
however said, that if the poll panel deemed that his appeal -- which he
claimed has cleaned up politics to a large extent -- violated the
Model Code of Conduct, he would stop it. "This is a false allegation. I
cannot even dream of it."
Clarifying his remark, Kejriwal said
that it actually meant that despite being offered money, the voters
should exercise their franchise out of their own volition.
He said that the poll panel had accused him of inducing bribery, but he was doing exactly the opposite.
"I
am saying that don't vote for them who are offering you money. By doing
this I am reducing bribery. In fact I am helping you," Kejriwal told
the EC in his reply.