Delhi elections 2015: AAP not amused, slams BJP for 'killing' Anna Hazare in ad

NEW DELHI: Aam Aadmi Party has slammed BJP for an advertisement that the latter took out in various newspapers on Friday . The ad showed a cartoon of party chief Arvind Kejriwal swearing upon his children that he will not take support from Congress.Next to him is a woman, ostensibly Kejriwal's wife but depicting AAP's tie-up with Congress. Behind them is a garlanded photograph of Anna Hazare.

In a tweet, Kejriwal said: "Nathuram Godse killed Gandhiji on this day in 1948.BJP has killed Anna in its ad today . Shudn't BJP apologise?" (sic) He was referring to the Indian custom of garlanding pictures of only those people who are deceased.

On Thursday , AAP told its candidates to stay clear of making personal attacks on members of other political parties and focus only on a positive agenda. Kejriwal tweeted: "To all AAP volunteers n supporters. Evil forces will try to divert ur attention.But pl stay focussed on positive agenda for Delhi." (sic) The party officially only criticized the ad for its depiction of Anna, though several said that it was in "extremely poor taste".

Senior party functionary Sanjay Singh said: "On the martyrdom day of the father of the nation, BJP has indulged in the worst political opportunism by showing utter disrespect for Anna Hazare. AAP wants to know whether the advertisement was sent for approval of the Election Commission before publication. Party supporters said that dragging Kejriwal's children into the political slugfest showed that BJP was ready to fall to any extent to make its point. "We have been calling on BJP to openly debate with us on issues concerning Delhi, but it is stooping to personal attacks," said sources.

BJP spokesperson and Union minister Nirmala Sitaraman said, "It is a non-issue.It is a caricature and depicts what Keriwal has done. He cheated Anna thrice. And the caricature just depicts that he didn't care for Anna (whom he considered a role model)."