'Pamphlet on Atishi won't influence our vote'

May 11, 2019 09:07

A day after the Aam Aadmi Party's East Delhi candidate, Atishi, broke into tears at a press conference called to condemn the circulation of a malicious pamphlet that slandered her, most residents of her constituency said that the pamphlet would not influence how they would vote.

"I am a woman and the pamphlet is very upsetting to me," said Anamika Gupta, a resident of Okhla. "Nobody will change their mind after reading the pamphlet. Elections are here so everyone will spread rumours. But this should not happen. My husband is telling me to vote for Modi but I will vote for Atishi."

Gupta said she did not receive the pamphlet personally but heard about it from her neighbours. Several other voters said they had not received the pamphlet but had heard about it on the news or from others.

A number of people spoke out against the pamphlet on social media, calling it a "misogynistic" and "toxic" attempt to defame Atishi ahead of May 12, when there will be polling for all of Delhi's seven Lok Sabha seats. Several people tweeted support, using the hashtag #IStandWithAtishi.

At the press conference on Thursday, AAP accused Atishi's rival, BJP candidate Gautam Gambhir, of generating and circulating the pamphlet.

Gambhir denied having any hand in it and alleged that AAP was behind the pamphlet to gain publicity.

Gambhir subsequently sent a defamation notice to Atishi, Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal and deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia, accusing them of attempts to "illegally influence the minds of the voters and tarnish the pristine image" of Gambhir. He challenged them to prove that he was responsible for the pamphlet.

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