Blow for AAP: Showcause notice issued to Manish Sisodia over his tweet on party-mate Atishi Marlena's religion. Here's what he'd said

Days ahead of the sixth phase of the 2019 Lok Sabha polls when all Delhi will go to polls, the East Delhi Returning Officer on Tuesday has issued a notice to AAP leader and Delhi Deputy Chief Minister Manish Sisodia over violation of Model Code of Conduct regarding a tweet on the religion of party's East Delhi Candidate Atishi Marlena.

This came after a complaint BJP Delhi leaders RP Singh, Aarti Mehra and Subhash Sachdeva wrote a letter in the matter to East Delhi Returning officer. The letter stated that tweet appears to attract the provision of sub-section (3-A) of Section 123 of the Representation Act, 1951.

The Returning Officer has asked the AAP leader to furnish his comments on the matter by 5 pm on Wednesday.

In April, Manish Sisodia has posted a tweet as a warning to both BJP and Congress after Atishi Marlena was facing a diatribe over her surname.

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In the tweet, the Delhi Dy CM has asked the Congress and BJP to beware of Atishi, stating that she is a Rajputani.

"I am sad that the BJP and Congress together are spreading lies about the religion of our East Delhi candidate. The BJP and Congress men! Be aware that her full name is Atishi Singh. She is a Rajputani. A hardcore Kshatrani... the Queen of Jhansi. Beware! She will win and create history too," Sisodia said in his tweet.

Manish Sisodia came to the rescue of the AAP candidate from East Delhi amid the onslaught on her by former Okhla Congress MLA Asif Khan, who, in a message on social media, allegedly dubbed Atishi as a Jew and asking Muslims not to vote for her.

READ | Atishi Marlena Is Atishi Singh, A Rajputani; Beware Of Her: Manish Sisodia Warns Congress, BJP