Rival party workers luring slum dwellers with money for inking fingers: Kejriwal

Arvind Kejriwal warns against rival party's voter fraud scheme, offering money to disenfranchise slum residents.

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal on Sunday (February 2, 2025) alleged that members of a rival party were “giving ₹3,000 to people living in slums and applying indelible ink on their fingers to disenfranchise them”.

“You are simple and innocent people. If, by mistake, you accept money and get your finger ink, or if you cast a fake vote on their instructions, these people [rival party workers] will file a case against you and have you arrested the very next day,” Mr. Kejriwal alleged in a video statement without naming any political party.

“Their party members are going door-to-door, telling people that take ₹3,000 and the Election Commission will come to their houses to cast their votes. They are saying ‘you can vote from home [later] and get ink applied on your finger [now]’,” he added.

Mr. Kejriwal alleged that in the past, people who were too innocent were jailed for 8-10 years due to fake voting scams. “This has happened many times before when innocent poor people have spent 8-10 years in jail for getting involved in fake voting scams. And no one comes to save them. The very people giving you money today will get you arrested tomorrow. This is a massive fraud, and you could end up in jail under charges of fraud,” he alleged.

There was no response from any party or poll body till the time of going to print.