The controversy around #144inAmethi on Twitter

On Monday evening, Kumar Vishwas, the Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) candidate from Amethi tweeted claiming that the Uttar Pradesh police in Amethi, were forcing his family to leave the constituency or face forceful eviction. Kumar claimed the UP police had left immediately after media OB vans arrived at his house at Awas Vikas Colony. According to him, they returned soon after, and again threatened to evict his wife, sister and some others from his rented home.

The 'Midnight Raid'.. Administration asked my family to leave Amethi with immediate effect at midnight! pic.twitter.com/46P9FfeRXu

— Dr. Kumar Vishvas (@DrKumarVishwas) May 6, 2014

AAP activists then hit the social media, with full force, with their workers claiming there was a conspiracy in place and that the administration was trying to muzzle the work of the party by forcing its party cadre to leave the constituency. 

It's a tense morning in #AapKiAmethi, booth bags looted by police, volunteers detained @DrKumarVishwas's family harassed. Why r they afraid?

— Pankaj Shukla (@PankajShuklaa) May 6, 2014

Kumar Vishwas challenged the Election Commission and the Police to evict workers of other parties such as the Congress and the BJP who were also staying the night in what is now being considered the most interesting electoral battle to be fought on 7th May. AAP workers claimed that the district administration was actually taking this action in order to allow illegalities by other parties. 

In a tweet put out this morning, Kumar said

I never objected 144... the issue is not about rules, but about selective treatment. Why all rules apply to a single person/ party only?

— Dr. Kumar Vishvas (@DrKumarVishwas) May 6, 2014

The official version from the administration though is that section 144 has been imposed in the constituency, in order to facilitate free and fair elections. The police stated that that save for those who hold a valid election ID from the constituency, the rest must leave the constituency during polling day.

However later it is believed according to various media reports, that the Election Commission had taken a considered view of the situation and has asked Vishwas to give a list of non-Amethi residents that would he would require in order to allow  them to stay.

What is interesting though, is that the administration hasn’t asked leaders and cadres of various other political parties that are camping in the home turf of the Congress vice-president Rahul Gandhi to leave the constituency.

Amethi police doesn't have guts to go Munshiganjguesthouse and ask why hundreds of @INCIndia workers from other state are there #144inAmethi

— Pankaj Shukla (@PankajShuklaa) May 6, 2014

Amethi is all set to witness what will be one of the most closely contested fights this election season, with the Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, fighting against the BJP’s Smriti Irani and the AAP’s Dr Kumar Vishwas.