While the controversy continues over the circulation of a defamatory and obscene pamphlet targeting Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from East Delhi Atishi Marlena, cricketer-turned-politician and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) candidate Gautam Gambhir is now facing another allegation.
Members of the AAP tweeted a photo which allegedly shows a 'duplicate' of Gautam Gambhir standing on his campaign vehicle pretending to be him while Gautam is sitting inside it. AAP members say that this shows how the retired cricketer is a 'Khaas Aadmi' who cannot withstand the heat while campaigning.
Gambhir has responded with his own tweet where he says that this is another example of the 'fixation' that the ruling party of Delhi has developed towards him. The former Test cricketer wrote on his official Twitter page: "Faced with a certain defeat, @AAP finds a fixation every day, this time they found my clone!!"
Identity of 'imposter'
The man who was standing atop the campaign vehicle wearing the same cap as Gambhir has been identified as BJP worker Gaurav Arora who is also considered a friend of the former cricketer. When approached by a television channel, Arora said that he wasn't trying to pass himself off as the BJP candidate but instead campaigning for him like others atop the vehicle.
The party has further clarified that the reason for Gambhir taking a seat inside the vehicle and leaving his perch atop it, was him feeling a little unwell during the roadshow. However, AAP leaders are using this as another opportunity to target the newly-recruited member of the saffron party.
Pictures comparing Delhi CM Arvind Kejriwal walking on a road and Gambhir comfortably sitting inside the vehicle are being used to make the claim that the former's party has genuine connect with the people while the BJP candidate is not willing to even withstand slight inconvenience.
This new controversy follows the continuing saga over the abusive pamphlet which AAP claims has been distributed by Gambhir's party to help him win the election. The BJP leader has filed a defamation suit and has challenged his rivals to prove that he had anything to do with the pamphlet. Atishi Marlena, on the other hand, has filed a complaint with the Delhi Commission for Women. Delhi goes to polls on May 12, the second last phase of polling in the general elections.
