Bribe remark was to help EC curb bribery: Kejriwal

Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) chief Arvind Kejriwal Saturday told the Election Commission (EC) that by asking voters to accept money from political parties he was actually helping the poll panel to curb bribery incidents.

Replying to the EC's notice for allegedly inducing voters to accept bribe, the former Delhi chief minister said he could not dream of doing that.

Kejriwal, however said, that if the poll panel deemed that his appeal -- which he claimed has cleaned up politics to a large extent -- violated the Model Code of Conduct, he would stop it. "This is a false allegation. I cannot even dream of it."

Clarifying his remark, Kejriwal said that it actually meant that despite being offered money, the voters should exercise their franchise out of their own volition.

He said that the poll panel had accused him of inducing bribery, but he was doing exactly the opposite.

"I am saying that don't vote for them who are offering you money. By doing this I am reducing bribery. In fact I am helping you," Kejriwal told the EC in his reply.