Delhi CM targets BJP as auto driver challaned for painting 'I love Kejriwal'

Delhi Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal on Tuesday slammed the BJP and Delhi Police for imposing challans on autorickshaw just because they had put on an 'I love Kejriwal' sticker.

Tweeting that the BJP is 'making its police slap false challans', Kejriwal also urged the party to stop taking 'revenge' from poor autorickshaw drivers.

"BJP's police is imposing false challans of poor auto drivers. Their only fault is that they have written: "I love Kejriwal". Such maliciousness against the poor is not right. I appeal to the BJP to stop taking revenge on the poo," he said in the tweet, roughly translated from Hindi.

Earlier in the day, a notice was issued to the AAP government, Delhi Police and the Election Commission (EC) by the Delhi High Court over "I Love Kejriwal" sticker. The notice was in response to a petition filed in the court challenging the challans for displaying the sticker.

The petitioners had pleaded that they can not be penalised for expressing themselves as displaying such a poster was not prohibited and that they have been exercising their right to free speech in doing that.

Rajesh, the petitioner, was challaned with Rs 10,000 for painting words "I Love Kejriwal " on the back of his auto-rickshaw, which he says he did for his free will without any pressure and monetary benefit.

His plea insisted that he was challaned for displaying these markings upon his vehicle and violating the model code of conduct by displayed a political advertisement of a party.

The next hearing of the matter is scheduled for March 3.