Goa Election 2022: Congress, TMC, AAP File Charges Against Each Other Over Footage Alleging Bribery

AAP Panaji candidate Valmiki Naik said his party filed a complaint with the state's chief election officer to alert authorities to the video.

Representational Image. (Source: Getty Images)

New Delhi: On the eve of elections in Goa, the Trinamool Congress and the Aam Aadmi Party filed charges against each other on Sunday over sting operation footage that was shown on a news channel.

The channel telecast a video alleging that one TMC and three Congress candidates had accepted payments to alter their party allegiance if they won the Assembly elections on February 14, PTI reported.

AAP Panaji candidate Valmiki Naik said that his party filed a complaint with the state's chief election officer to alert authorities to the video.

The party's Goa desk in-charge Atishi confirmed the same on Sunday, as she said: "We demand that their candidature must be immediately disqualified on the basis of sting video about switching parties after elections".

We have filed a complaint to @CEO_Goa against @INCGoa candidates Avertano, Savio, Sankalp & @AITC4Goa candidate Churchill. We demand that their candidature must be immediately disqualified on the basis of sting video about switching parties after elections - @AtishiAAP pic.twitter.com/IZAy8FXpva

— Aam Aadmi Party Goa (@AAPGoa) February 13, 2022

TMC Benaulim candidate Churchill Alemao, who is one of those accused of collecting the bribe in the video, has filed a complaint with the chief election officer requesting that the footage be withdrawn from all platforms, as well as an FIR against AAP and the TV channel.

Alemao alleged that the AAP had breached the "quiet period," which is the period between the conclusion of campaigning, which in Goa was Saturday evening, as voting is to take place on Monday.

Naik denied violating the silence period, stating he had not engaged in any form of campaigning.

Sushmita Dev, a TMC Rajya Sabha MP, has filed a complaint against Naik and AAP Delhi MLA Atishi, who is in charge of the party's Goa desk.

Dev asked that AAP erase the offensive video from a tweet and remove posts about it from other social media platforms.

Meanwhile, Congress has also filed a complaint alleging the video to be "fake and doctored".

Complaint filed by Avertano Furtado against Hindi Khabar and other violators for fake and Doctored video. pic.twitter.com/2WrMulfpRz

— Goa Congress (@INCGoa) February 13, 2022

Earlier, the party had called it a "conspiracy" hatched by "BJP-AAP duo to defame the Congress & three of the party office bearers."

This is in violation of The Representation of People's Act. They're trying to subvert democracy by attempting to interfere with free and fair elections. (2/3)

— Goa Congress (@INCGoa) February 12, 2022

When contacted, Goa chief election officer Kunal said that the concerns will be investigated in accordance with the Representation of the People Act.

Notably, the video uploaded on YouTube by the news channel has been removed. According to the notice featured on the link, the footage has been removed "due to legal complaints from the government".

Certain tweets on AAP's Goa handle have also been withheld in response to "a legal demand".

(With PTI Inputs)