AAP writes to EC seeking adequate central forces in Varanasi

Anticipating violence ahead of and during polling in Varanasi, AAP today asked the Election Commission to provide adequate central forces in the Lok Sabha constituency, particularly in its two rural Assembly segments.

"We need adequate central forces in Varanasi to ensure that the campaign and the election can be conducted peacefully and fairly there. In particular, we are apprehending intimidation and violence in Rohania and Sevapuri Assembly segments of the constituency on election day.

We would therefore request you to ensure that adequate central security forces are available particularly in those segments, especially on election day," party leader Prashant Bhushan said in a letter to the Election Commission.

Of the five Assembly segments of Varanasi Lok Sabha seat, where AAP chief Arvind Kejriwal is pitted against BJP's prime ministerial candidate Narendra Modi, Rohania and Sevapuri are rural in nature while the other three mostly cover the urban areas of Varanasi city.

The party has also asked the poll body to have a video monitor installed on all voting machines so that booths can be monitored.

"We will also request the Commission to ensure that all the polling booths in Varanasi have a video monitor installed on all the voting machines so that the integrity of the voting in the booths can be monitored.

Varanasi is a critical constituency, where we are already seeing signs of violence and intimidation and we apprehend that this may continue even during polling," Bhushan said.

The party has also slammed the Varansai administration for not acting against those involved in violence against AAP volunteers. The party workers were thrashed allegedly by BJP workers yesterday.

"Further to my last representation on April 24 regarding the murderous attack on Somnath Bharti by BJP supporters, there has been another serious unprovoked physical attack on our volunteers, Ankit Lal and Nandan Mishra at Assi Ghat in Varanasi by BJP workers, while they had gone there.

"This has been widely reported in the media. Such incidents have become very common in Varanasi. Unfortunately, the authorities in Varanasi are doing nothing to apprehend the culprits or their masterminds despite video evidence being available in some cases," Bhushan added.